Travis Kelce was left feeling a serious case of imposter syndrome after meeting Prince William earlier this year, according to his mother, Donna Kelce. The Kansas City Chiefs star had the opportunity to meet the future King of England during one of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts at Wembley Stadium over the summer.
The event became even more memorable when Prince William attended the show with his children, Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 9. After the concert, Kelce, Swift, and the royals posed for a now-famous selfie backstage, which quickly made the rounds on social media.
Now, three months later, Donna, 71, is reflecting on her son’s royal encounter, sharing how Travis reacted to the surreal experience. In an interview with Extra, she revealed that while Kelce thought meeting Prince William was “one of the coolest things,” he couldn’t shake the feeling of being out of place.
“He said that when you meet people like that—whether it’s the royals, Paul McCartney, or Hugh Grant—you just feel like, ‘Who doesn’t fit in this picture? Why am I here, and how am I even allowed to talk to these individuals? It just doesn’t seem right,’” Donna shared, giving fans a glimpse into her son’s modesty despite his own fame.
Despite his initial feelings of awkwardness, Donna added that Travis handled the meeting well: “He’s a friendly guy, and I think he just rolled with it.”
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Kelce himself has spoken about the memorable moment on his New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother, fellow NFL player Jason Kelce. Over the summer, he recounted his conversation with Prince William, and as usual, Travis didn’t hold back on his candid, humorous take.
“Dude, he was the coolest motherf****r,” Travis told Jason. “He was awesome. They were an absolute delight to meet.”
In typical Kelce fashion, he admitted that he wasn’t entirely sure how to approach the royals when they first met. “[I] wasn’t sure if I was supposed to, like, bow to them, curtsy, or just be an American idiot and shake their hand,” he joked.
While Kelce has always been known as one of the NFL’s greatest tight ends, his fame has only skyrocketed since he began dating Taylor Swift last year. Over the past 12 months, the couple has become one of the most talked-about celebrity duos, with their relationship drawing attention from fans and media alike.
Donna Kelce weighed in on how her son is handling the newfound level of public interest. “He’s always been one to be in the limelight. He loves attention. He’s always dancing, always joking around, always having fun… he just loves life,” she said, adding that Kelce seems to be thriving in the spotlight.
“It just seems like his life is on a trajectory that’s rising every single day,” she continued. “Every time I turn around, I see him doing something different—whether it’s on the golf course, at a concert, or whatever—he’s just having his best life right now.”
However, while Kelce is enjoying life off the field, things haven’t been as smooth for him on the football front. The 34-year-old has had a rough start to the NFL season, recording just eight catches for 69 yards across Kansas City’s first three games—his lowest output for a three-game stretch in his entire career.
Even so, it seems Kelce is taking everything in stride, balancing the highs of his personal life with the challenges of the new season. Between his relationship with Swift, royal encounters, and football, Kelce’s life continues to be anything but ordinary.
