When Prince William showed up to his latest royal engagement this week, he was sporting a unique piece of jewelry that stuck out like a sore thumb. The accessory did not go well with his outfit, but there’s a good reason why he wanted to be seen wearing it.
The 42-year-old heir to the British throne is currently in Cape Town for his four-day royal trip to South Africa. While attending the Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Program earlier this week to speak in front of a crowd of at least 120 people, Prince William was snapped with a striking bracelet on his right wrist.
A closer look at the accessory showed that it featured a number of beads in different blue and green tones and four white ones with gold letters spelling out “Papa.” The vibrant colors made the bracelet stand out against the Duke of Cambridge’s formal attire, comprising a gray button-down, black suit, and matching slacks.
In an interview with the BBC at the event, Prince William revealed that the bracelet was from none other than his daughter, Princess Charlotte, 9. He also confirmed our assumptions that it must have been inspired by the friendship bracelets exchanged by Taylor Swift fans at the singer’s “The Eras Tour” concerts.
“Well, this is a relic, if you like, from a Taylor Swift concert that my daughter decided that she wanted to create a bracelet for. She gave it to me when I came away. So I promised to wear it and try not to lose it while I was out here,” he proudly told the outlet of his one-of-a-kind accessory.
The bracelet also holds a lot of sentimental value for King Charles’ eldest son since the word “Papa” is the term of endearment used by his three children with Kate Middleton — Princess Charlotte, Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 6 — to refer to him.
On Tuesday, Prince William once again showed off his new bling when he arrived for the second day of The Earshot Prize Awards. As expected, the bracelet continued to stand out even though the father of three sported a white button-down and a navy suit this time around.
According to Page Six, Princess Charlotte must have been inspired by the Swifties when she made the bracelet for their dad. As a big fan of the “Cruel Summer” hitmaker, the young princess was able to experience the pop superstar’s concert when William took her and George out to see Taylor’s show in London.
The trio was able to meet Swift backstage before the concert at Wembley Stadium. They posed for photos with her and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, around 25 minutes before the singer stepped on stage. The Prince of Wales then shared a couple of the snaps on his and Kate’s Instagram.
Meanwhile, this was not the first time Princess Charlotte created DIY jewelry. She was captured on camera wearing numerous handmade bracelets at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
It’s also not just Prince William and his kids who are loving the friendship bracelet trend since even King Charles has been spotted wearing a neon handmade bracelet below his suit’s cuff when he visited Guernsey, as per GB News. Sources said it was likely from Princess Charlotte as well.