Prince William reveals ‘entangled’ moment with Taylor Swift, some of his favorite tunes and car trip with mum and Harry
William opens the episode about his father’s love of walking and that as an adult, Charles “used to try to force Harry and me out of the house the whole time” and added that “we didn’t really have any that.”
“But now, as you get older, you appreciate it a lot more and you find it true to its nature,” says William.
Royal is the latest star to record walks and talks for the series, available on Apple Watch with a Fitness+ subscription.
Each episode, which ranges from 25 to 40 minutes in length, is designed to be an immersive experience. Featured guests strolled in a meaningful location and reflected on life’s lessons, and shared memories and experiences through stories, photos, and songs.
William’s walking tour – which he recorded in the spring – took him past his family’s 20,000-acre Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England. Starting at Sandringham House, he captures the sights and sounds of “the wonderful English countryside, as we call it” while heading towards St. Mary Magdalene, where the royals will attend a Christmas Day church service later this month. He ends his journey standing outside Anmer Hall, the home he shares with his wife, Catherine, and their children.
Reminiscing about his family’s annual Christmas Day pilgrimage, William talks about his “strong memories” of his grandfather plowing ahead while “having us in the back with little feet try to keep up.”
In the episode, the prince discusses the importance of staying mentally healthy and recalls a moment nearly a decade ago that made him sweat at a black tie event.
Musing that he “can’t believe I’m actually telling this story,” he said of the 2013 fundraiser gala at Kensington Palace that US singers Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift attended, “this almost knocks me out”.
William says there’s always “a lot of handshakes to make those nights” where he tries to “be charming and interactive.” Then he went to see the show and thought that his main duties for the evening – mainly hosting guests – were over and he could relax a bit.
“I sat next to Taylor Swift. She was to my left. And after Jon performed his first song, there was a pause and she turned to me. She put her hand on mine, looked me in the eye. me and said, “Come on, William. Go and sing,” he recalls.
“To this day, I still don’t know what happened to me. Honestly, even now I’m worried about what will happen next and I don’t understand why I gave in. But, honestly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm and says, “Come with me…” I stand up like a puppy and say, “Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I will follow you.”
William continued his anecdote describing walking towards the stage “in a trance” and desperately trying to remember the lyrics of “Livin’ On a Prayer.”
“Underneath my black tie, a lot of sweat is pouring out. I feel like a swan, on the outside I try to keep myself calm, but inside, my little feet are paddle fast,” added the royal. while he is very comfortable speaking, he has less experience singing live.
“Sometimes, when you’re taken out of your comfort zone, you have to roll with it,” he added.
In the episode, the duke also revealed the effect of his time as an air ambulance pilot on his mental health. He detailed an experience helping a boy who was hit by a car.
William said that he “went home that night rather sad but unremarkable” and was aware that “something had changed … a real strain in me.” He describes being emotionally isolated and going back to work but “it really hit me a few weeks later.”
“My personal life and everything is perfectly fine. I’m happy at home and happy at work, but I keep looking at myself, ‘Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel so sad? “And I started to realize that you’re actually taking on everyone’s pain, everyone’s sadness, and it’s affecting you.”
He said he’s “lucky” to have someone to talk to from the Air Ambulance service, adding that he has spoken to frontline workers throughout the pandemic who are struggling. struggles with mental health and encourages listeners to seek support as he did.
The episode also featured several musical selections from the prince, including Tina Turner’s “The Best,” which his mother used to blow up in her car as she drove her sons back to boarding school.
“Sitting in the backseat and singing, it felt like a real family moment,” said William. “And my mother, she would drive along, singing loudly. And we would even put the policeman in the car, sometimes he would sing along.”
These days, the father-of-three says he’s surprised his children “have inherited my family’s love of music.”
“One of the kids’ favorite songs right now is Shakira, ‘Waka Waka’,” he explains. “Charlotte in particular is running around the kitchen in dresses, ballet suits and everything. She’s absolutely crazy about Louis following her around trying to do the same thing.”
William’s episode concludes the show’s second season, with previous guests including British heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, actor and comedian Stephen Fry and CNN’s Dr Sanjay Gupta.
The top three mental health charities selected by the duke will receive charitable donations from Apple – Shout in the UK, Crisis Text Line in the US and Lifeline in Australia. Shout and Crisis Text Line offers free 24/7 security for people in text crises, while Lifeline offers free round-the-clock suicide prevention and crisis support.
A special episode for Fitness+ subscribers on Monday, December 6. The company will also stream three free broadcasts of the show on Apple Music 1, its flagship global radio station on Apple Music, starting at 8am GMT, 12am PST and 7pm AEDT.
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