Prince William still cringes when he thinks about getting up on stage to perform Livin' on a Prayer with Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift in 2013.
The British royal was seated beside the Shake It Off singer in the audience while Bon Jovi performed a set at a Centrepoint charity event at Kensington Palace when Swift encouraged him to join her onstage to serve as back-up singers for the rocker as he sang his '80s classic.
Reliving the moment during a special Christmas episode of Apple Fitness+'s Time to Walk audio series, William admitted he still doesn't understand why he agreed to the idea.
"To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I'm cringing at what happened next, and I don't understand why I gave in," he shared. "But, frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm, and says, 'Come with me...' I got up like a puppy and went, 'Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I'll follow you.'"
The 39-year-old explained that he felt "in a trance" as he walked to the stage and only woke up midway through the song. Although he was nervous and didn't know the words, he ploughed on as the young homeless people Centrepoint supports were cheering him on.
"So I thought, 'Well, if they're enjoying it, then the night is for them. So sod it. I can't be the doofus who's going to ruin it for everyone,'" he continued. "And so, I desperately try and remember some of the words and sing as hard as I can. Beneath my black tie, there was a lot of sweating going on. I felt like a swan, where I was trying to keep myself composed on the outside, but inside, the little legs are paddling fast."
The royal went to explain that it's the perfect example of a time when it's okay to make "a fool of yourself".
"It's okay to not take yourself too seriously and have those moments where you let go and you just go, 'Do you know what? I'm okay with this,'" he said. "So, yeah, go on and have a laugh. And don't go and watch the video of me singing. Or do go and watch it, but just laugh to yourself about how I was feeling."
