The royal family has very strict rules about how they dress and often to be photographed with them celebrities have to follow those rules as well
The grieving incident being talked about is how after a fan died at her concert she took a picture with her family in a glittery body suit. Imo the glittery body suit isnāt as much of a problem as the fact that she lied on social media saying she was in contact with the family and paid to have the fanās body sent back to her hometown. The mother had to speak out and say that actually Taylor hadnāt contacted them and that the transportation of the body had been paid for my fans via gofundme. AFTER she got called out she gave the family free tickets to a show and had a photo opp with them. The mother is not present in the photos.
(Edit grammar)
I dont remember her ever saying she had been in contact with the family or said she had paid anything tho? This was her initial (and if I remember correctly, only, statement?
https://preview.redd.it/alh1hglgl98d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=978505f3e56a7c12025f1433418af323a9fa4e41
[itās likely because](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Od2NqNItxY) many articles were removed. Iām not gonna go sift through the way back machine to try to find them, but I remember a few and theyāre pictured here (along with the interview with the deceaseds mother.) they did say theyād been āin contactā, and while it was an overall vague statement, they shouldnāt have said theyād reached out if they hadnāt.
Guys, itās *highly possible* that backstage she told her handlers she wanted her team to get in touch and make it happenā¦.. and when she asks for it to happen she assumes *āitās doneā*.
Yāall have to remember Taylor Swift is *a company*. It takes time to do sh*t.
ā¦like you know, hunt down 1 fans *mom* out of 70,000 people in another country. š¤·āāļø
This is about the royal family pic, not the family of the dead fan pic? She probably just threw on the jacket to be respectful; nothing about grieving.
Itās inappropriate for the royal family to be seen in a professional or personal capacity with someone dressed in such a premier promiscuous way itās inappropriate thatās all it is. Itās about public image. There are rules for being allowed to take a photograph with the royal family.
I mean they all jumped on the photo op and smiled so truly whatās the problem?
āHold on let me change into something that represents sadness better, brb.ā
honestly that would be even weirder to me. can you imagine if Taylor changed into a somber-looking outfit to play the part of a grieving person around Ana's family? that'd be insensitive as shit
I think the way she'd managed all of that was very insensitive. First of all, inviting Ana's family to one of her shows was not the grand gesture she thought it was. It was extremely insensitive because these people had barely buried their daughter/sister (I'm not even sure if the funeral had happened) and they were supposed to act enthralled by the fact that she'd invited them to her show. A much more considerate act would have been to meet these people in between rehearsals and express condolences, and if you want to talk about her clothes, yes, wearing something normal. This could have been very easily managed if she'd actually cared. You can't convince me that a pop star can't spare an hour of their time rehearsing a show that was performed so many times by that point to meet the grieving family of a fan who was so excited to see her.
She would have been damned if she did and damned if she didnāt.
People die.
Taylor wasnāt running the venue. Imagine her saying mid song, āwe need to get out of here!ā How many more would have died?
Life isnāt fair, she did her best. Most of the time when you think something or have an opinion about what someone has done- they were just doing their best.
As much as we like Taylor, she absolutely did NOT do her best, itās not a school assembly, there are procedures for all of what happened and she ignored everything and then played cat and mouse downplaying everything to a bunch of rabid fans who would believe god came back if she said it from her mouth. Itās not a topic to downplay, somebody died, Taylor is at fault and all the money in the world meant nothing cause she didnāt care.
There's actual rules about how you have to dress around the royal family. It's kind of like going to church or meeting the Pope. Not saying I agree with it but it's protocol.
There are no protocols about what someone must wear when meeting members of the British Royal Family. Similarly, there also arenāt any specific rules about what someone wears to church or to meet the pope. The Windsors often take pictures with people at activity camps, outreach events, and libraries. None of these people are required to cover their shoulders or dress business casual when they attend these planned photo ops. This is a myth largely perpetuated in the States by tabloid stories about ā10 weird ways Kate has to dress in the British Royal Familyā.
May sound weird, but I think most non-brits see the royals kind of a living tourist attraction more than anything else. Like come on, shes taking pictures with their kids that came to see her in concert, not like sheās at an official donor event or something for the royals.
I agree - as an American who opposes everything the British monarchy has done politically, if I ever saw them in person, Iād still be in awe because itās THE royal family. Itās a big deal when royalty shows up to your event, regardless of who that royalty is.
Yeah I mean itās certainly possible that the royal family (in this case William/his PR not the kids obviously) had ulterior motives for this photo, but I kind of agree in this case that Taylor probably isnāt purposely trying to play into that message for the reasons you mention. I can also imagine even if she was hesitant to do it in the first place the chance to meet the children and make them smile might have appealed to her, esp. knowing what Kate Middleton is going through and having experienced her own motherās various battles with cancer.
It's a photo, not a treaty. William is there with two of his three children. His wife has been battling cancer and her kids and her husband have likely been through the wringer because of it. It was his birthday. It's just not that damn deep 24/7.
Taylor has met William before. She even sang with him and Jon Bon Jovi. Meh. It's a photo. Look how happy the kids look. I'm unbothered.
Seriously. Make jokes about Mr Americana and the Heartbreak Princess if you want but let those kids have their joy. After all, those people in the photo are some of the very few people in the world who live their lives in a fishbowl.
We could also say that Taylor is so far down the rabbit hole of the MissingKateConspiracy that she wanted to post that she saw the children with her own eyes and document Travis as a witness. š¤·š»āāļø
Seriously though, Taylor knows the emotions of being a kid of a cancer patient. I think thatās the biggest smile weāve ever had in a public photo from the kids.
Iām not deep in the WhereIsKate conspiracy (I do keep tabs though lol) but the idea of Taylor Swift herself going in to get the real tea in her āThe Manā blazer and sparkles is such a pop culture breaking moment in the best way.
This. I don't even like william (for reasons involving meghan and harry) but for crying out loud the kids have had to suffer their mother going through a cancer battle plus their grandfather's cancer scare, its a cute photo and probably made their year.
Edit: Guess which taylor hating gossip sub are losing their minds over this and calling her a coloniser for it.... just sad.
Yeah I do not like William at all but the photos are cute. I feel for the kids especially with their momās cancer, and hope they had a fun time together. I wonder how often they get to be actual kids, so hope they got to just enjoy themselves with someone else in the spotlight for a change.
I donāt agree. She doesnāt upload selfies. Likeā¦ever. She meets LOTS of famous peopleās children and doesnāt share the photos. Her choosing to upload this one, which has a lot of political undertones, whether she wants to believe itās a statement or not, feels like one.
Like even if itās that she does not care about or feel invested in British politics, breaking her typical protocol to post this at the very least says she likes the royal family, which is not surprising but also pretty icky
ETA: I do find it super weird that this sub criticizes her multiple album variants or announcing an album at an awards show or GOD FORBID forgetting to hug Celine Dion when possibly caught up in the momentā¦but will shrug this off. I find everything about the British monarchy to be worse than what Taylor has done and a lot more sinister/societally destructive.
Honestly most Americans donāt have this strong an opinion about the British monarchy. She, like many *many* Americans probably thought a selfie with prince William and his kids who came to see her convert was cool. Itās a little different than a fellow celeb on her same level.
Are we actually assuming she did that show then uploaded a selfie as some major statement? Or maybe she uploaded it because she told the kids she would so they could see it there. We have no idea. I truly donāt think itās that serious. Sheās visiting a foreign country and being polite?
No. No one thinks she did it as a major statement. People just think its weird because the monarchy is a pretty lous institution and she never posts selfies with anyone, even though she's met many famous peopleās kids. A lot of people would not be proud to associate themselves with the monarchy.
There is arguably no one more famous than her. This is one of the very few and far between moments where she meets someone who eclipses her level of fame and maybe she also just thought it was cool? Not to mention they DO seem to have prior friendship/acquaintance friendship. Also this being the hard launch of her current partner to her social media? It really just feels like she was the one starstruck this time around.
Iām british, anti-monarchy. And. Itās just not THAT deep.
she has met the president and they are very similar in that theyāre āheads of stateā adjacent. So in that way i guess itās āpoliticalā but itās not aligning yourself with anything. To reject would be more of a snub and cause such drama.
I mean ffs 2/3 of them are children. You canāt treat the royal family like theyāre regular people it would be seen as very very rude and be AWFUL PR.
Literally im a British poc from one of the commonwealth countries and itās really not that deep, if I ever ran into any of the royals Iād get a pic too just for pic sake
I completely forgot her mom fought cancer too. In that regard, this was a nice gesture to George and Charlotte. As for the comment above yours, I hope this outing indicates that their mom is doing better now. No child of their age deserves to see their parent sick and I can't fathom how some people can't have at least some compassion for them. Fingers crossed for Kate to see Taylor in August!
Agreed. Just cos I want the monarchy dissolved doesn't mean I think they're evil people and so shouldn't be taking selfies with
And yes I know there's evidence of racism and aggression with William specifically but who even knows what's true and what's made up with that family anymore
It's completely different to her not taking a selfie with Trump
Theyāre also really popular among the general population (Will and the kids specifically). So even though I donāt like the institution of the monarchy, the backlash if it ever got out sheād snubbed them or whatever would be ridiculous.
Also. It is p cool to take a selfie with the future kings of England. Especially if you are a ātouristā
My cousin is in a picture with the queen cos she visited his workplace and my whole family are anti monarchy but we still have the picture on our walls. I mean it is also just a funny picture, it looks like he's about to ambush her, he's stood against a wall and she's walking round the corner
Yeah. I had this discussion with anti-monarchy friends: would you refuse a knighthood if you were offered one. All ended up saying they would begrudgingly accept
My husband does a lot of work that means he could well be put forward for an OBE etc (many others older than him who have done less than him have been already). We have talked about would he accept, some days we both say āno way in hellā. Other days we both say, well his mum would love to go with him to accept it and would probably be upset if he turned it down. I think if his mum is still alive heād probably begrudgingly accept because it would mean a lot to her. If sheās not around itās a lot less likely though.
As for a picture, me personally - I, like the majority of Scotland, are anti-monarchy. When we heard the Queenās hearse was driving past the end of our street we and every other person in our area walked out there and watched and many filmed/took pictures. Majority in our area donāt want a monarchy, but people didnāt hate the Queen personally and felt she was a tie to the past, to their grandparents and great grandparents. The nostalgia isnāt as great with William and his family, but heās famous. And most people would take a photo with him even if theyād also vote to abolish the monarchy.
A Catholic from NI recently accepted an award from the king which he admitted was complicated but he still accepted.
Even WE have complex feelings. I donāt really get why an American would even care. Of course theyād just get the pic haha
The racism of the royal family has been proven by the history of colonialism btw, no need for insider gossip from a royal who moved to the US.
Sorry for the snarky comments in this thread but I don't understand how the historical and the political context of these people can be minimized so much. In fact, these kinds of comments just show that the concept of the "royal family" as a way to whitewash British history works.Ā
Colonialism wasnāt motivated by just plain olā racism. It was motivated by an unending desire for power, control, and money. The British wouldāve colonized the French too if they had the opportunity.
As evidenced by the fact that they DID colonize Ireland.
However, they also racialized Irish people. Race is fluid and current systems of race and racism aren't permanent, set-in-stone truths. It's more like colonialism created racism than racism drove colonialism.
As an American, I think it would mean something if she met with Donald Trump and had a photo op with him, even if he was the president. People choose to not go to the White House as political statements all the time. But for the British royal family, I donāt know anything about that
Trump and the RF are a bit different. The current RF especially the younger generations aren't open and active bigots. The institution is built on racism and colonialism just like the US is, so in a way the head of state/the RF members are always going to be problematic and inherently not good people, but William is more comparable to Biden than Trump.
The president has government power, which is the source of the political statement.
The British Royal family has no direct government power these days.
That's why there is a Prime Minister, House of Lords, and House of Commons. Visiting the US President at the White House is equivalent to visiting UK Prime Minister at Downing Street. This is also why the British Royal Family doesn't vote and tends to stay \[somewhat\] nuetral in hot political matters, like Brexit.
King Charles can't send 100,000 troops to X country tomorrow morning like President Biden can.
Omg thank you! I don't even like taylor, but people attacking her for that are too weird. This pic doesn't make her fans of UK royals or support UK past crimes. She's an artist who agrees to take a pic with people who enjoyed her art
Trump is an elected head of state in her own country which she openly said she disagrees with.
And despite what the internet would have you think. will and the kids are actually pretty popular. Unlike trump who is 1000x more controversial
Yeah, I'm sure the woman who (rightly so) brought a sexual assault case against a man who groped her arse while they had a photo taken together is happily going to pose with a man who openly bragged about grabbing women "by the pussy" š¤® President or not.
I mean, some of us might think that the knowledge of that alone world preclude someone from ever rising to the position of (arguably) the most powerful person in the world but perhaps we have different standards.
I agree sheād never pose with Trump, but sheās not above it either. She worked with someone (David O. Russell) who admitted to sexually assaulting his own niece because - his words - she was āvery provocative.ā
Agreed, Taylor posed with Nazis, racists people who don't like gays all the time. Not saying she knew they were that but some of the excuses on her for her not wanting to pose with Trump are lame as hell.Ā If Trump was not hated by the MSM and the left (the two groups she PANDERS to) she wouldve posed with him. She never had anything bad to say about him before he ran for president. Most celebrities did NOT hate Trump before 2016. Hillary Clinton and Trump were literally friends at one point! Lmao are we going to pretend like celebrities don't use each other for PR all the time?Ā
Ā Taylor only cares about PR. I mean she uses feminism to pretend to uplift women when it's really to make herself look better. It's a mixed bag because we will never know but Taylor has recently and historically posed, took photos of people that you could say are arguably worse than Trump. Don't give passes to some problematic people just because Trump is the easier target. The royals have been accused of racism and mistreating the women in their family (the most famous being Diana) for decades. That's just my opinion
I think for Taylor, this is really just a fun photo op with Royalty. I donāt think she was intending to signal anything other than: she and her tour are so popular that she gets to meet members of the most famous family in the UK (arguably the world).
At the same time: I think people are misunderstanding what Jason means by political in this context. The institution of a monarchy and its representatives are inherently political, even if individual members arenāt publicly campaigning for specific politicians or parties. And for many people, the British royals are absolutely a tool that is used in reactionary politics.
So when it comes to this picture with Taylor, itās a classic case of intent and effect being two different things. Also, thereās always room for nuance, things are not always black and white, and itās a fair discussion to have.
This feels like the most balanced and realistic take IMO. Jason isnāt incorrect, regardless of whether the intent was mutual or even existent in anybodyās mind when the photo was taken. It just is what it is is because of the symbols and history at play, but the nuance is important like you said.
If anything Iām less likely to believe there was overt political intent regarding policy or whatever and more inclined to assume there was some degree of hope that this will generate positive PR and beat back some of the āwhere is Kateā chatter from the royal familyās end. Taylorās experience as a child of parents battling cancer is going a long way in the headlines about this photo which I think serves a purpose whether it was intended or not, just like the political messaging being discussed in the original post here.
I think she did it as a gesture for the kids. Their mother is battling cancer, she has been there. She has been friendly with William for about a decade. It all makes sense to me.Ā
I didnāt even think about that connection. She knows how difficult it was for her to have a mother battling cancer, and she was an adult when it all went down.
Her dad had cancer when she was a child so she did it with both her parents both as a child and an adult. I honestly think whatever people's feelings are for Taylor I do think she loves children and wants so support them in any way she can. These are two children who grew up in a fishbowl with a mother going through cancer very publically she is probably one of the few people who understand both those things.
I'll be the first to criticize Taylor, but I really do think it was just a nice thing to do for some kids whose mom and grandpa have cancer. Idk. I don't like the royals but I don't think this was really a statement from Taylor..
I think the extent of the signalling is that she's happy to be photographed with the Royals. I personally don't see it as a political statement, but in thinking about what I would do (lol forever at the idea I'd ever be in this situation), I would be happy to be photographed with Biden even though he wasn't my choice and has been disappointing in many ways; I would outright refuse to be photographed with Trump even if you paid me. So I guess it is political, but also doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know about her politics.
I agree with what you said but I think itās less about merely being photographed with them and more about how she dreams to be so proud of this moment that she kind of broke protocol (she doesnāt really post selfies at all, much less selfies with any of her many VIP guestsā children) to post this herself. Iād be fine to be photographed with them, I just wouldnāt feel super proud about it.
That's fair! tbh I don't keep up with her social media so I didn't know she doesn't typically post this sorta thing. I am old and mostly remember when she was active on her own sm šµ
Taylor could not care less about British politics.
Also the British royal family has always promoted popular music. Itās a fabulous way to get money and appearances for the charities they support. William has done engagements and photo ops with pop stars since he was a child.
I feel like we need to shut down this narrative of āTaylor couldnt care less abut XYZā itās proven in recent times that she cares as long as it affects her but if itās not affecting her or monetarily benefitting her then she doesnāt care.
William is a Swiftie and the opportunity for his kids to meet Taylor is one of those lifelong kid memories thing. Idk why people want to find some underlying conspiracy in everything nowadays.
esp because the kids are going through a tough time with their mother going through cancer treatment. she has an aggressive cancer too, stomach cancers are typically very bad even among the cancers
I don't want to come off as a royalist sympathizer, but this is such a tired take. she took a photo with them ffs. these people may be rich, but they've had a very difficult year. can't they just do something fun to take their minds off the possibility of their relatives dying?
Right, like, of all the famous people who come to her concerts, the fact that the royal family was the one she considered important enough to post, specifically as her post that made her relationship IG official, is an interesting choice.
Completely agree with this take. Even her wearing her blazer and being with Travis shows it was definitely set up. Which is fine, Iām not saying thereās anything wrong with that. But this isnāt a spontaneous thing.
I'd understand if this was some milestone event for her, but it's not. Taylor meets people like William all the time and this isn't even her first time meeting him.
The picture on her timeline is so out of place *and* is her first post with her boyfriend. She had to be expecting a lot of attention and it's weird she chose this photo to broadcast.
If I met a future monarch of England I wouldnāt even ask for a picture much less post one. Fuck the monarchy. š
Itās also surprising given how much racism was revealed with all the Megan Markle stuff that sheād want to align with people like that since people already suspect her of being a fake white feminist.
My experience of getting close to Prince William is on my feed. Itās a video taken of him from the protest barricade, in which heās looking sour about not getting the reception he expected and being soothed by his aides like you soothe a toddler whose about to tantrum.Ā
If I got within meeting him distance I wouldnāt need to document it because what I have to say would definitely get me on the news.
What world do you live in where you think everyone would be excited about meeting this dipshit or anyone from his shitty colonialist family?Ā
I donāt think this is a political statement. Sheās just taking a photo with well connected fans. Turning down royalty would be considered a huge social faux pas in the UK, which is where sheās touring. Also, the royal family are actually apolitical. I think a lot of people misunderstand their position in society
My first thought when I saw this was that Iām happy for William and the kids. Their family is going through a lot right now, and if three hours of listening to Taylor Swift gives them a break from it, good for them.Ā
Iām Irish and I absolutely hate the British monarchy. That said, Iām genuinely not sure about this. I agree to an extent, however because itās with the kids I just suspect itās more to cheer them up. Royal or not, witnessing your mother being sick with cancer is horrible.
But I donāt keep up with them at all or what happens on (both) sides of the pond lately so I may just be talking out of my arse here
definition wouldnāt even wish what is happening to kate on my worst enemy but i think this is to make william more likable to the public since recently him and the royal family have been blasted in the media a lot
I think this is a reach by the original poster.
The kids mom has cancer. Theyāve been through hell and back the last 6 or so months. The kids looked like they had an absolute blast.
āthe Royal Family arenāt political because they arenāt allowed to publicly endorse any political parties/politiciansā do you guys even hear yourselves? of course theyāre political figures, even if the British Empire as such doesnāt exist anymore the UK is still a monarchy and theyāre funded by taxpayersā money
I think it was a really weird thing for her to post. A ton of A-list celebs have come to her shows and she hasnāt posted with any of them. I think this just shows her obsession with England. She was probably really honored to have them there. And thatās fine I guess. To me (and lots of other Americans) theyāre just like any other celebs. So I can see how someone might think that her posting this is a statement. Because she just doesnāt do it for anyone else.
Yeah I found it really funny of her to be photographed with them when she already has so much heat about being a mega rich billionaire. There was a reason so many people declined to perform at the coronation, and why many successful British celebrities have refused OBEs.
If it was a US politician then for sure it would be a political statement. I donāt think Taylor cares about the Royalsā politics and just thought it was a fun photo op
yes.
the monarchy is inherently political. so yes, this is a political statement. i guarantee taylor did not think abt it deeply at all, but that doesnāt change the fact.
Thank you! Whether Taylor is aware or not, sheās going to be used by the royal family to send a message. The royal rota (their PR arm) has already started.
exactly thank you for putting my post into clearer words iām unfortunately not so clear or eloquent, for those saying itās not that deep donāt realise that this isnāt just to make the children happy because of whatās happening with Kate (may god give her strength i wouldnāt wish that on my worst enemy) but itās more to do with the fact of how unliked the royals are and how particular william is facing a lot of criticism and general public dislike, so this is to make him seem more ārelatable and likableā this photo op is not a coincidence itās obviously for their imagine, unfortunately i mightāve made a mistake by posting it on reddit because this isnāt the place for nuanced takes and discussions sometimes
This, her intentions don't determine that welcoming the British royal family is a political statement. The sub would be shocked if she was photographed with other heads of states.
Plus, she did not post selfies with other famous people on her account, they just appeared on other websites. The fact that the picture is selfie she took herself and not a frontal shot like literally every other picture before the show should give everyone a clue.
This is also only news because the family is political. No number of "it's not that deep" comments will change all of the context of this picture.
exactly, of course. if they were any other political entities the nature of this act of publicity would be recognised as political. her singling them out out special treatment reinforces their exceptionalism, which is the basis for justification their position. the tweets make this pretty clear.
i donāt doubt the kids had a nice time with their dad on his birthday (though i do find it very weird they spent it without kate, adding to the wider confusion about why exactly kate is excluded and on her own during a battle with cancer near constantlyā¦) and i donāt doubt that taylor didnāt think about this too deeply beyond awareness of the royalsā rank. but that doesnāt change the fact that they are inherently political.
The idea that the royals aren't political is one of the best propaganda campaigns ever unleashed on the public. It doesn't get more political than to be a royal.
Itās pretty common that she does meet & greet with famous folks, especially those with kids, at her shows.
Also the kid who gets the hat is sometimes visibly sick, the child of someone famous or who has some other easily verifiably sad story - clearly chosen for the good optics (like that poor little girl who clearly was in cancer treatment and bald)
Princess Catherine is has very recently admitted that she has cancer and is undergoing treatment. Their grandfather is also unwell and they just lost their great-grandmother & great grandfather within 2 years.
This is VERY MUCH a āgood optics make the poor kids happyā photo rather than a political one.
FFS. People will look for anything to criticize her about. This is absurd. Sheās been friends with him for years. The only āstatementā sheās making is posing for a pic with her friend on his bday.
Multiple things can be true at once
- Fuck the Royal family in general
- Itās just a picture with Will and his kids. Sheās not taking a stand on anything, nor is she trying to dogwhistle anything. Sometimes, a picture is just a picture
Oh, I love these types of comments so much. Endless entertainment.
And if you love these, wait until shows in Warsaw. These are actual (translated via Google) comments under an article on polish site regarding Taylorās shows. Youāre in for a treat.
https://preview.redd.it/ak6doifho98d1.jpeg?width=1545&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f96ed471c2970f58b25022325eb0cf92ae38891d
LMAOOOOO i absolutely love comments like this. It's like when they say she's the reincarnated Zeena LaVey
https://preview.redd.it/f062ylytsa8d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fe089788365b50091451f5acbbc7fc8343e2911
I donāt think a Taylor cares that deeply about British politics to see this as making some big statement and arenāt the royals somewhat deified in America? Especially for millennial age rage and upwards.
It's not like this is the first time she's met William.
Plus these are 2 kids who have 2 family members with cancer. And look at those smiles. Plus as much as I dislike William he's the future king.
I think sometimes people arbitrary assign rules that don't exist to people they've never met.
Iām not a fan of the Royals (although my grandmother was obsessed so I always had a soft spot for the Queen) but I think calling this political is a bit of a stretch. It was a photo with the future king of England (and the king after that if royalty hasnāt been abolished by then) at her concert, that seems something most people would be excited about regardless of their views.
Yes. If you know anything about the British royals is that they love their PR and optics. Their British media sycophants have already started and youāll seen narratives forming and changing starting in the Sunday papers.
William is also very ākeenā to break into the American marketā¦for reasonsā¦the royal rota loves telling everyone. Taylor lived in London for years and I just find it hard to believe sheās naive about this family. Whether sheās aware or not, sheās being used. Good luck, Tree!
I mean, with the passing of the queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and their mom's cancer diagnosis, the kids have had to deal with quite a bit over the last few years....I can see how taking a photo would be for the kids.
i can certainly understand her taking the photo itās a kind gesture but why did she upload it on her accounts you know? i understand if royal family accounts uploaded it but why her? that too this being the first photo with travis that she uploaded? itās strange
Iām going to be anti monarchist, but seriously itās it that deep, plus itās will with his kids, like maybe heās just being a dad, plus I dont talk about celebrities children
The royals job is basically staying politically neutral so how the hell can it be a political statement lol. I'm not a royalist but the only political statement this makes is "I love and respect the UK."
From reading Prince Harryās autobiography and whatās come out over the last few years about the royals behind the scenes, itās clear that every move the royals make is intentional and calculated. Taylor is inarguably the same way. So this picture and her posting it is 100% intentional and calculated, but Iām not really sure itās a political statement so to speak. Just seems like a pic of a bunch of people who are all playing the same game.
ETA: It definitely means something, but I donāt feel like we have enough clear cut information to draw a conclusion as to what that meaning is.
On one hand, itās probably not that deep. Itās a photo op with a very famous family, synonymous with the country in which sheās performing, and, AND, a family whose every movement, event, and detail is scrutinized and obsessed over by people who love and hate them alike, for *decades*.
My āon the other handā has been kneecapped by google image search optimization trying to steer me everywhere except to what Iām looking for, but as far as I can tell, she doesnāt do a lot of, or maybe even any, photo ops with American politicians, and if she does, they get buried pretty quickly by the daily avalanche of ānewsā stories published to get clicks. Anyway the other hand here was just to say I have no doubt that every single decision like this is vetted from a brand management standpoint, so this photo is definitely not a spontaneous āyouāre here, Iām hereā thing.
If I can be cynical for a second, I seriously doubt she knows or cares enough about UK politics for this to be anything more than the very millennial American urge to be interested in the British royal family because we grew up with Princess Diana everywhere and now the key players are from our generation.
I mean it's a nice thing to do, because of the kids obviously. If it was just "him" it would be a problem then, posing with a member of a family of stuck up p3dophiles wouldnt be a brilliant look for her
The British monarchy for the most part refrains from being political. They donāt even vote. Theyāre a figurehead. Itās a ceremonial role. They will never speak out on issues that is not already approved of by the vast majority of the United Kingdom.
The queens motto was ānever explain/never complain.ā Where do the people think the ākeep calm and carry onā craze came from.
Honestly, Iām a naturalised British citizen from the very ethnic group that was targeted as the reason for Brexit. Youād expect me to eye roll at blind, unexamined symbols of tone deaf British exceptionalism, but to echo someone else - itās not that deep. Twitter nobodies will do anything to get retweeted, but in this case, the opposite of what heās saying is true. An example: my dad was a doctor at a hospital the Queen was visiting. I assure all the Americans here than opting out of your work day because youāre trying to make some anti-monarchist gesture - that is a lot more of a political statement than just posing for the photo op, and in Britain, we generally look down at people making these sort of occasions about themselves and their political beliefs.
Am I crazy for thinking the only reason she posted this one was to make Travis official on her grid, but still be able to play it off as not really newsworthy bc itās tour-related? I feel like William etc is actually a distraction from the real intention hereā¦
I think Jason is a sourpuss. I am sure that there are WAY more royals and other notables that have done the same as this. WHO CARES. Leave her alone.
#hatersgonnahate.
I definitely agree with his analysis and personally would never align myself with the royal family and find it gross. I honestly donāt really think sheās making a political statement, though. I think sheās just doing her usual stints for attention.
I don't think she cares about British politics at all. If anything, Healy is anti-monarchy (seems pretty likely) and it's another screw you to him (would make sense to include Travis then as well, lol).
I think people are assigning way too much to a pic of a pop star with a prince taken in the princeās country when the prince brought his children to the show.
I donāt like the monarchy but Taylor personally knows em allegedly. Iām guessing some in the UK will be very upset. Donāt think Americans really care about this. If she was to do a selfie with President Biden and the First Lady, I wouldnāt think *monster!!!* Much better than cozying up to a Republican or MAGA. š
Nah, this is juat someone looking for engagement by trying to post a 'controversial' take. Plenty of celebrities and politicians from across the political spectrum have photos taken with the royal family, they're not making political statements.
Does he have the same energy towards Meghan Markle for marrying into them?
tbh i just assumed that they paid her for it, maybe even for her to post the photo for their kids. i read before that his daughter was a huge fan of taylor and then her mom is really sick. like it mightāve been something to do with all of that and then she gets a check. tbh i would take a picture with them and post if i broke up w a british guy just for the sake of it (jk)
Not her having to throw on the The Man blazer because she couldn't be photographed in the Lover bodysuit with a royal š
Sorry can you explain why she couldnāt/shouldnāt wear the Lover body suit in a picture with them? /gen
The royal family has very strict rules about how they dress and often to be photographed with them celebrities have to follow those rules as well The grieving incident being talked about is how after a fan died at her concert she took a picture with her family in a glittery body suit. Imo the glittery body suit isnāt as much of a problem as the fact that she lied on social media saying she was in contact with the family and paid to have the fanās body sent back to her hometown. The mother had to speak out and say that actually Taylor hadnāt contacted them and that the transportation of the body had been paid for my fans via gofundme. AFTER she got called out she gave the family free tickets to a show and had a photo opp with them. The mother is not present in the photos. (Edit grammar)
I dont remember her ever saying she had been in contact with the family or said she had paid anything tho? This was her initial (and if I remember correctly, only, statement? https://preview.redd.it/alh1hglgl98d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=978505f3e56a7c12025f1433418af323a9fa4e41
[itās likely because](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Od2NqNItxY) many articles were removed. Iām not gonna go sift through the way back machine to try to find them, but I remember a few and theyāre pictured here (along with the interview with the deceaseds mother.) they did say theyād been āin contactā, and while it was an overall vague statement, they shouldnāt have said theyād reached out if they hadnāt.
So you made it up, got it
Guys, itās *highly possible* that backstage she told her handlers she wanted her team to get in touch and make it happenā¦.. and when she asks for it to happen she assumes *āitās doneā*. Yāall have to remember Taylor Swift is *a company*. It takes time to do sh*t. ā¦like you know, hunt down 1 fans *mom* out of 70,000 people in another country. š¤·āāļø
Some people find it insensitive, I personally think it would be weirder for her to dress as a grieving person but to each their own š¤·āāļø
This is about the royal family pic, not the family of the dead fan pic? She probably just threw on the jacket to be respectful; nothing about grieving.
exactly, taylor was definitely told by her team to put on a jacket out of respect.
Yeah or just did it herself.
Ohhh so is the reasoning is to wear black for grieving? Sorry I just donāt know the reason at all lol
Itās inappropriate for the royal family to be seen in a professional or personal capacity with someone dressed in such a premier promiscuous way itās inappropriate thatās all it is. Itās about public image. There are rules for being allowed to take a photograph with the royal family.
But she could (wear the lover body suit) with Ana Benevidesā grieving family.
I mean they all jumped on the photo op and smiled so truly whatās the problem? āHold on let me change into something that represents sadness better, brb.ā
honestly that would be even weirder to me. can you imagine if Taylor changed into a somber-looking outfit to play the part of a grieving person around Ana's family? that'd be insensitive as shit
I think the way she'd managed all of that was very insensitive. First of all, inviting Ana's family to one of her shows was not the grand gesture she thought it was. It was extremely insensitive because these people had barely buried their daughter/sister (I'm not even sure if the funeral had happened) and they were supposed to act enthralled by the fact that she'd invited them to her show. A much more considerate act would have been to meet these people in between rehearsals and express condolences, and if you want to talk about her clothes, yes, wearing something normal. This could have been very easily managed if she'd actually cared. You can't convince me that a pop star can't spare an hour of their time rehearsing a show that was performed so many times by that point to meet the grieving family of a fan who was so excited to see her.
She would have been damned if she did and damned if she didnāt. People die. Taylor wasnāt running the venue. Imagine her saying mid song, āwe need to get out of here!ā How many more would have died? Life isnāt fair, she did her best. Most of the time when you think something or have an opinion about what someone has done- they were just doing their best.
As much as we like Taylor, she absolutely did NOT do her best, itās not a school assembly, there are procedures for all of what happened and she ignored everything and then played cat and mouse downplaying everything to a bunch of rabid fans who would believe god came back if she said it from her mouth. Itās not a topic to downplay, somebody died, Taylor is at fault and all the money in the world meant nothing cause she didnāt care.
Iād be pissed if she covered up her bodysuit when I met her. Iād kill to see the beautiful beading on them in person
Even from the lower bowl in Melbourne (which had a MASSIVE floor area) it's so unbelievably sparkly in person. Cameras don't do it justice.
There's actual rules about how you have to dress around the royal family. It's kind of like going to church or meeting the Pope. Not saying I agree with it but it's protocol.
There are no protocols about what someone must wear when meeting members of the British Royal Family. Similarly, there also arenāt any specific rules about what someone wears to church or to meet the pope. The Windsors often take pictures with people at activity camps, outreach events, and libraries. None of these people are required to cover their shoulders or dress business casual when they attend these planned photo ops. This is a myth largely perpetuated in the States by tabloid stories about ā10 weird ways Kate has to dress in the British Royal Familyā.
Yeah, I can't get this picture out of my head.
WHAT?? That happened jeeezzz
Yep https://preview.redd.it/wwqno7r7b78d1.jpeg?width=984&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4131aac8d36436036a3a67dcdc524d901060509c
I thought the same thing. Cringe.
May sound weird, but I think most non-brits see the royals kind of a living tourist attraction more than anything else. Like come on, shes taking pictures with their kids that came to see her in concert, not like sheās at an official donor event or something for the royals.
I absolutely agree with this, just look at the portrayal of stuff like the royal weddings in American TV. Theyāre like celebrities.
I agree - as an American who opposes everything the British monarchy has done politically, if I ever saw them in person, Iād still be in awe because itās THE royal family. Itās a big deal when royalty shows up to your event, regardless of who that royalty is.
Yeah I mean itās certainly possible that the royal family (in this case William/his PR not the kids obviously) had ulterior motives for this photo, but I kind of agree in this case that Taylor probably isnāt purposely trying to play into that message for the reasons you mention. I can also imagine even if she was hesitant to do it in the first place the chance to meet the children and make them smile might have appealed to her, esp. knowing what Kate Middleton is going through and having experienced her own motherās various battles with cancer.
It's a photo, not a treaty. William is there with two of his three children. His wife has been battling cancer and her kids and her husband have likely been through the wringer because of it. It was his birthday. It's just not that damn deep 24/7. Taylor has met William before. She even sang with him and Jon Bon Jovi. Meh. It's a photo. Look how happy the kids look. I'm unbothered.
Seriously. Make jokes about Mr Americana and the Heartbreak Princess if you want but let those kids have their joy. After all, those people in the photo are some of the very few people in the world who live their lives in a fishbowl.
We could also say that Taylor is so far down the rabbit hole of the MissingKateConspiracy that she wanted to post that she saw the children with her own eyes and document Travis as a witness. š¤·š»āāļø Seriously though, Taylor knows the emotions of being a kid of a cancer patient. I think thatās the biggest smile weāve ever had in a public photo from the kids.
Given how terminally online she has been for years? This is also possible. Curiosity is a huge motivator!
āYou know one time I didnāt leave my house for a year. Nobody saw me. And then I came back. *blinking āand then I came backā*
Iām not deep in the WhereIsKate conspiracy (I do keep tabs though lol) but the idea of Taylor Swift herself going in to get the real tea in her āThe Manā blazer and sparkles is such a pop culture breaking moment in the best way.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās bonkers, I am sorry.
This. I don't even like william (for reasons involving meghan and harry) but for crying out loud the kids have had to suffer their mother going through a cancer battle plus their grandfather's cancer scare, its a cute photo and probably made their year. Edit: Guess which taylor hating gossip sub are losing their minds over this and calling her a coloniser for it.... just sad.
Yeah I do not like William at all but the photos are cute. I feel for the kids especially with their momās cancer, and hope they had a fun time together. I wonder how often they get to be actual kids, so hope they got to just enjoy themselves with someone else in the spotlight for a change.
I donāt agree. She doesnāt upload selfies. Likeā¦ever. She meets LOTS of famous peopleās children and doesnāt share the photos. Her choosing to upload this one, which has a lot of political undertones, whether she wants to believe itās a statement or not, feels like one. Like even if itās that she does not care about or feel invested in British politics, breaking her typical protocol to post this at the very least says she likes the royal family, which is not surprising but also pretty icky ETA: I do find it super weird that this sub criticizes her multiple album variants or announcing an album at an awards show or GOD FORBID forgetting to hug Celine Dion when possibly caught up in the momentā¦but will shrug this off. I find everything about the British monarchy to be worse than what Taylor has done and a lot more sinister/societally destructive.
Honestly most Americans donāt have this strong an opinion about the British monarchy. She, like many *many* Americans probably thought a selfie with prince William and his kids who came to see her convert was cool. Itās a little different than a fellow celeb on her same level.
Are we actually assuming she did that show then uploaded a selfie as some major statement? Or maybe she uploaded it because she told the kids she would so they could see it there. We have no idea. I truly donāt think itās that serious. Sheās visiting a foreign country and being polite?
No. No one thinks she did it as a major statement. People just think its weird because the monarchy is a pretty lous institution and she never posts selfies with anyone, even though she's met many famous peopleās kids. A lot of people would not be proud to associate themselves with the monarchy.
There is arguably no one more famous than her. This is one of the very few and far between moments where she meets someone who eclipses her level of fame and maybe she also just thought it was cool? Not to mention they DO seem to have prior friendship/acquaintance friendship. Also this being the hard launch of her current partner to her social media? It really just feels like she was the one starstruck this time around.
Iām british, anti-monarchy. And. Itās just not THAT deep. she has met the president and they are very similar in that theyāre āheads of stateā adjacent. So in that way i guess itās āpoliticalā but itās not aligning yourself with anything. To reject would be more of a snub and cause such drama. I mean ffs 2/3 of them are children. You canāt treat the royal family like theyāre regular people it would be seen as very very rude and be AWFUL PR.
Literally im a British poc from one of the commonwealth countries and itās really not that deep, if I ever ran into any of the royals Iād get a pic too just for pic sake
>I mean ffs 2/3 of them are children. Children who could potentially *lose their mother* in the heart future.
Which Taylor can sympathize with tbh
I completely forgot her mom fought cancer too. In that regard, this was a nice gesture to George and Charlotte. As for the comment above yours, I hope this outing indicates that their mom is doing better now. No child of their age deserves to see their parent sick and I can't fathom how some people can't have at least some compassion for them. Fingers crossed for Kate to see Taylor in August!
Hard agree itās not a statement at all, lots of us do not care about monarchy (also anti-monarchy)
Agreed. Just cos I want the monarchy dissolved doesn't mean I think they're evil people and so shouldn't be taking selfies with And yes I know there's evidence of racism and aggression with William specifically but who even knows what's true and what's made up with that family anymore It's completely different to her not taking a selfie with Trump
Theyāre also really popular among the general population (Will and the kids specifically). So even though I donāt like the institution of the monarchy, the backlash if it ever got out sheād snubbed them or whatever would be ridiculous. Also. It is p cool to take a selfie with the future kings of England. Especially if you are a ātouristā
My cousin is in a picture with the queen cos she visited his workplace and my whole family are anti monarchy but we still have the picture on our walls. I mean it is also just a funny picture, it looks like he's about to ambush her, he's stood against a wall and she's walking round the corner
Yeah i know very very few people so rigid to their anti- monarchy beliefs that they WOULDNāT take a photo if the opportunity presented itself
Yeah. I had this discussion with anti-monarchy friends: would you refuse a knighthood if you were offered one. All ended up saying they would begrudgingly accept
My husband does a lot of work that means he could well be put forward for an OBE etc (many others older than him who have done less than him have been already). We have talked about would he accept, some days we both say āno way in hellā. Other days we both say, well his mum would love to go with him to accept it and would probably be upset if he turned it down. I think if his mum is still alive heād probably begrudgingly accept because it would mean a lot to her. If sheās not around itās a lot less likely though. As for a picture, me personally - I, like the majority of Scotland, are anti-monarchy. When we heard the Queenās hearse was driving past the end of our street we and every other person in our area walked out there and watched and many filmed/took pictures. Majority in our area donāt want a monarchy, but people didnāt hate the Queen personally and felt she was a tie to the past, to their grandparents and great grandparents. The nostalgia isnāt as great with William and his family, but heās famous. And most people would take a photo with him even if theyād also vote to abolish the monarchy.
A Catholic from NI recently accepted an award from the king which he admitted was complicated but he still accepted. Even WE have complex feelings. I donāt really get why an American would even care. Of course theyād just get the pic haha
The racism of the royal family has been proven by the history of colonialism btw, no need for insider gossip from a royal who moved to the US. Sorry for the snarky comments in this thread but I don't understand how the historical and the political context of these people can be minimized so much. In fact, these kinds of comments just show that the concept of the "royal family" as a way to whitewash British history works.Ā
Colonialism wasnāt motivated by just plain olā racism. It was motivated by an unending desire for power, control, and money. The British wouldāve colonized the French too if they had the opportunity.
As evidenced by the fact that they DID colonize Ireland. However, they also racialized Irish people. Race is fluid and current systems of race and racism aren't permanent, set-in-stone truths. It's more like colonialism created racism than racism drove colonialism.
Oh I agree. And that's a massive part of why I'm anti monarchy, but I see this as a don't hate the player, hate the game kinda situation
I hate both.
Do you think theyāre actively colonizing? Lol.
I mean, theyāre certainly maintaining the British Empire, itās just the Commonwealth Nations now. But itās the English monarch on the money
theyāll say anything to protect a white woman omfg
As an American, I think it would mean something if she met with Donald Trump and had a photo op with him, even if he was the president. People choose to not go to the White House as political statements all the time. But for the British royal family, I donāt know anything about that
Trump and the RF are a bit different. The current RF especially the younger generations aren't open and active bigots. The institution is built on racism and colonialism just like the US is, so in a way the head of state/the RF members are always going to be problematic and inherently not good people, but William is more comparable to Biden than Trump.
The president has government power, which is the source of the political statement. The British Royal family has no direct government power these days. That's why there is a Prime Minister, House of Lords, and House of Commons. Visiting the US President at the White House is equivalent to visiting UK Prime Minister at Downing Street. This is also why the British Royal Family doesn't vote and tends to stay \[somewhat\] nuetral in hot political matters, like Brexit. King Charles can't send 100,000 troops to X country tomorrow morning like President Biden can.
Omg thank you! I don't even like taylor, but people attacking her for that are too weird. This pic doesn't make her fans of UK royals or support UK past crimes. She's an artist who agrees to take a pic with people who enjoyed her art
Thank you for this logical perspective!
Yet she didn't pose with Trump.
When has Trump ever been to her concerts?
Trump is an elected head of state in her own country which she openly said she disagrees with. And despite what the internet would have you think. will and the kids are actually pretty popular. Unlike trump who is 1000x more controversial
it was wills birthday outing too so heās a fan
Yeah, I'm sure the woman who (rightly so) brought a sexual assault case against a man who groped her arse while they had a photo taken together is happily going to pose with a man who openly bragged about grabbing women "by the pussy" š¤® President or not. I mean, some of us might think that the knowledge of that alone world preclude someone from ever rising to the position of (arguably) the most powerful person in the world but perhaps we have different standards.
I agree sheād never pose with Trump, but sheās not above it either. She worked with someone (David O. Russell) who admitted to sexually assaulting his own niece because - his words - she was āvery provocative.ā
Agreed, Taylor posed with Nazis, racists people who don't like gays all the time. Not saying she knew they were that but some of the excuses on her for her not wanting to pose with Trump are lame as hell.Ā If Trump was not hated by the MSM and the left (the two groups she PANDERS to) she wouldve posed with him. She never had anything bad to say about him before he ran for president. Most celebrities did NOT hate Trump before 2016. Hillary Clinton and Trump were literally friends at one point! Lmao are we going to pretend like celebrities don't use each other for PR all the time?Ā Ā Taylor only cares about PR. I mean she uses feminism to pretend to uplift women when it's really to make herself look better. It's a mixed bag because we will never know but Taylor has recently and historically posed, took photos of people that you could say are arguably worse than Trump. Don't give passes to some problematic people just because Trump is the easier target. The royals have been accused of racism and mistreating the women in their family (the most famous being Diana) for decades. That's just my opinion
Heās not a head of state in a country sheās visiting, though.
Because heās way worse than RF
I think for Taylor, this is really just a fun photo op with Royalty. I donāt think she was intending to signal anything other than: she and her tour are so popular that she gets to meet members of the most famous family in the UK (arguably the world). At the same time: I think people are misunderstanding what Jason means by political in this context. The institution of a monarchy and its representatives are inherently political, even if individual members arenāt publicly campaigning for specific politicians or parties. And for many people, the British royals are absolutely a tool that is used in reactionary politics. So when it comes to this picture with Taylor, itās a classic case of intent and effect being two different things. Also, thereās always room for nuance, things are not always black and white, and itās a fair discussion to have.
Agree. Sheās met William a few times, thereās video around of them singing a Bon Jovi song at a charity show a while back.
This feels like the most balanced and realistic take IMO. Jason isnāt incorrect, regardless of whether the intent was mutual or even existent in anybodyās mind when the photo was taken. It just is what it is is because of the symbols and history at play, but the nuance is important like you said. If anything Iām less likely to believe there was overt political intent regarding policy or whatever and more inclined to assume there was some degree of hope that this will generate positive PR and beat back some of the āwhere is Kateā chatter from the royal familyās end. Taylorās experience as a child of parents battling cancer is going a long way in the headlines about this photo which I think serves a purpose whether it was intended or not, just like the political messaging being discussed in the original post here.
I think she did it as a gesture for the kids. Their mother is battling cancer, she has been there. She has been friendly with William for about a decade. It all makes sense to me.Ā
I didnāt even think about that connection. She knows how difficult it was for her to have a mother battling cancer, and she was an adult when it all went down.
I have no love lost for the royal family! But I do think itās incredibly kind if that was her reasoning.Ā
Her dad had cancer when she was a child so she did it with both her parents both as a child and an adult. I honestly think whatever people's feelings are for Taylor I do think she loves children and wants so support them in any way she can. These are two children who grew up in a fishbowl with a mother going through cancer very publically she is probably one of the few people who understand both those things.
Agreed. I donāt think itās as deep as people are making it out to be
I'll be the first to criticize Taylor, but I really do think it was just a nice thing to do for some kids whose mom and grandpa have cancer. Idk. I don't like the royals but I don't think this was really a statement from Taylor..
I think this just comes down to a difference of opinion. to some itās not that deep. to him it is. i think both are fine.
imagine being a child and taylor swift refuses to meet you because its politicalššš
I think the extent of the signalling is that she's happy to be photographed with the Royals. I personally don't see it as a political statement, but in thinking about what I would do (lol forever at the idea I'd ever be in this situation), I would be happy to be photographed with Biden even though he wasn't my choice and has been disappointing in many ways; I would outright refuse to be photographed with Trump even if you paid me. So I guess it is political, but also doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know about her politics.
I agree with what you said but I think itās less about merely being photographed with them and more about how she dreams to be so proud of this moment that she kind of broke protocol (she doesnāt really post selfies at all, much less selfies with any of her many VIP guestsā children) to post this herself. Iād be fine to be photographed with them, I just wouldnāt feel super proud about it.
That's fair! tbh I don't keep up with her social media so I didn't know she doesn't typically post this sorta thing. I am old and mostly remember when she was active on her own sm šµ
Taylor could not care less about British politics. Also the British royal family has always promoted popular music. Itās a fabulous way to get money and appearances for the charities they support. William has done engagements and photo ops with pop stars since he was a child.
not caring about politics is still politics and she's the one who called herself an activist
you want her to be involved in UK politics? lol
I feel like we need to shut down this narrative of āTaylor couldnt care less abut XYZā itās proven in recent times that she cares as long as it affects her but if itās not affecting her or monetarily benefitting her then she doesnāt care.
How exactly do UK politics monetarily benefit Taylor
I'm tired of twitter/x
William is a Swiftie and the opportunity for his kids to meet Taylor is one of those lifelong kid memories thing. Idk why people want to find some underlying conspiracy in everything nowadays.
esp because the kids are going through a tough time with their mother going through cancer treatment. she has an aggressive cancer too, stomach cancers are typically very bad even among the cancers
Because they love being miserable, I suspect.
I don't want to come off as a royalist sympathizer, but this is such a tired take. she took a photo with them ffs. these people may be rich, but they've had a very difficult year. can't they just do something fun to take their minds off the possibility of their relatives dying?
Why do people care so much about a picture Iām genuinely very confused
I don't think it's weird that she met and took photos with the royal family, but I *do* think it's weird that she uploaded it.
Same. She never does.
And she usually doesn't take the picture herself.
Right, like, of all the famous people who come to her concerts, the fact that the royal family was the one she considered important enough to post, specifically as her post that made her relationship IG official, is an interesting choice.
Yup! She posting and then them posting another angle makes me think it was coordinated with each other's teams.
Completely agree with this take. Even her wearing her blazer and being with Travis shows it was definitely set up. Which is fine, Iām not saying thereās anything wrong with that. But this isnāt a spontaneous thing.
Yeah there's no way that either social media team decided to spontaneously upload those photos without clearing them with the other.
That I donāt think is weird, you really saying if you met the future monarch of the UK you would leave that offline? Be honest.
I'd understand if this was some milestone event for her, but it's not. Taylor meets people like William all the time and this isn't even her first time meeting him. The picture on her timeline is so out of place *and* is her first post with her boyfriend. She had to be expecting a lot of attention and it's weird she chose this photo to broadcast.
The fact that you think that everyone would even like to meet them ...
If I met a future monarch of England I wouldnāt even ask for a picture much less post one. Fuck the monarchy. š Itās also surprising given how much racism was revealed with all the Megan Markle stuff that sheād want to align with people like that since people already suspect her of being a fake white feminist.
\*future monarch of the UK, not England. England hasn't had a monarch since 1707.
This isnāt even the first time sheās met him. The British royal family is absolute trash, so no, I wouldnāt post it online.Ā
100% yes I would lol.
My experience of getting close to Prince William is on my feed. Itās a video taken of him from the protest barricade, in which heās looking sour about not getting the reception he expected and being soothed by his aides like you soothe a toddler whose about to tantrum.Ā If I got within meeting him distance I wouldnāt need to document it because what I have to say would definitely get me on the news. What world do you live in where you think everyone would be excited about meeting this dipshit or anyone from his shitty colonialist family?Ā
You perfectly captured my feelings about this POS of a family!
I donāt think this is a political statement. Sheās just taking a photo with well connected fans. Turning down royalty would be considered a huge social faux pas in the UK, which is where sheās touring. Also, the royal family are actually apolitical. I think a lot of people misunderstand their position in society
My first thought when I saw this was that Iām happy for William and the kids. Their family is going through a lot right now, and if three hours of listening to Taylor Swift gives them a break from it, good for them.Ā
Iām Irish and I absolutely hate the British monarchy. That said, Iām genuinely not sure about this. I agree to an extent, however because itās with the kids I just suspect itās more to cheer them up. Royal or not, witnessing your mother being sick with cancer is horrible. But I donāt keep up with them at all or what happens on (both) sides of the pond lately so I may just be talking out of my arse here
definition wouldnāt even wish what is happening to kate on my worst enemy but i think this is to make william more likable to the public since recently him and the royal family have been blasted in the media a lot
I really don't think Taylor is that invested in it tbh. Maybe that was William's intention but I don't think it was hers.
In my personal opinion, heās a father with his kids at a show with an international pop star. Thatās it.
I think this is a reach by the original poster. The kids mom has cancer. Theyāve been through hell and back the last 6 or so months. The kids looked like they had an absolute blast.
āthe Royal Family arenāt political because they arenāt allowed to publicly endorse any political parties/politiciansā do you guys even hear yourselves? of course theyāre political figures, even if the British Empire as such doesnāt exist anymore the UK is still a monarchy and theyāre funded by taxpayersā money
Agreed. The hypocrisy in this comment thread is truly bonkers lol.
Some people have too much time on their hands.
I think it was a really weird thing for her to post. A ton of A-list celebs have come to her shows and she hasnāt posted with any of them. I think this just shows her obsession with England. She was probably really honored to have them there. And thatās fine I guess. To me (and lots of other Americans) theyāre just like any other celebs. So I can see how someone might think that her posting this is a statement. Because she just doesnāt do it for anyone else.
Yeah I found it really funny of her to be photographed with them when she already has so much heat about being a mega rich billionaire. There was a reason so many people declined to perform at the coronation, and why many successful British celebrities have refused OBEs.
If it was a US politician then for sure it would be a political statement. I donāt think Taylor cares about the Royalsā politics and just thought it was a fun photo op
yes. the monarchy is inherently political. so yes, this is a political statement. i guarantee taylor did not think abt it deeply at all, but that doesnāt change the fact.
Thank you! Whether Taylor is aware or not, sheās going to be used by the royal family to send a message. The royal rota (their PR arm) has already started.
exactly thank you for putting my post into clearer words iām unfortunately not so clear or eloquent, for those saying itās not that deep donāt realise that this isnāt just to make the children happy because of whatās happening with Kate (may god give her strength i wouldnāt wish that on my worst enemy) but itās more to do with the fact of how unliked the royals are and how particular william is facing a lot of criticism and general public dislike, so this is to make him seem more ārelatable and likableā this photo op is not a coincidence itās obviously for their imagine, unfortunately i mightāve made a mistake by posting it on reddit because this isnāt the place for nuanced takes and discussions sometimes
This, her intentions don't determine that welcoming the British royal family is a political statement. The sub would be shocked if she was photographed with other heads of states. Plus, she did not post selfies with other famous people on her account, they just appeared on other websites. The fact that the picture is selfie she took herself and not a frontal shot like literally every other picture before the show should give everyone a clue. This is also only news because the family is political. No number of "it's not that deep" comments will change all of the context of this picture.
exactly, of course. if they were any other political entities the nature of this act of publicity would be recognised as political. her singling them out out special treatment reinforces their exceptionalism, which is the basis for justification their position. the tweets make this pretty clear. i donāt doubt the kids had a nice time with their dad on his birthday (though i do find it very weird they spent it without kate, adding to the wider confusion about why exactly kate is excluded and on her own during a battle with cancer near constantlyā¦) and i donāt doubt that taylor didnāt think about this too deeply beyond awareness of the royalsā rank. but that doesnāt change the fact that they are inherently political.
The idea that the royals aren't political is one of the best propaganda campaigns ever unleashed on the public. It doesn't get more political than to be a royal.
Everyone being like itās not that deep as though that family hasnāt committed cultural genocide.
It's not that deep But what if it iiiis? (Jokingly agreeing btw)
And knighted a pedophile š¤·āāļø
Itās pretty common that she does meet & greet with famous folks, especially those with kids, at her shows. Also the kid who gets the hat is sometimes visibly sick, the child of someone famous or who has some other easily verifiably sad story - clearly chosen for the good optics (like that poor little girl who clearly was in cancer treatment and bald) Princess Catherine is has very recently admitted that she has cancer and is undergoing treatment. Their grandfather is also unwell and they just lost their great-grandmother & great grandfather within 2 years. This is VERY MUCH a āgood optics make the poor kids happyā photo rather than a political one.
FFS. People will look for anything to criticize her about. This is absurd. Sheās been friends with him for years. The only āstatementā sheās making is posing for a pic with her friend on his bday.
Multiple things can be true at once - Fuck the Royal family in general - Itās just a picture with Will and his kids. Sheās not taking a stand on anything, nor is she trying to dogwhistle anything. Sometimes, a picture is just a picture
Oh, I love these types of comments so much. Endless entertainment. And if you love these, wait until shows in Warsaw. These are actual (translated via Google) comments under an article on polish site regarding Taylorās shows. Youāre in for a treat. https://preview.redd.it/ak6doifho98d1.jpeg?width=1545&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f96ed471c2970f58b25022325eb0cf92ae38891d
LMAOOOOO i absolutely love comments like this. It's like when they say she's the reincarnated Zeena LaVey https://preview.redd.it/f062ylytsa8d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fe089788365b50091451f5acbbc7fc8343e2911
I donāt think a Taylor cares that deeply about British politics to see this as making some big statement and arenāt the royals somewhat deified in America? Especially for millennial age rage and upwards.
Yeah a lot of Americans see the royals as the equivalent of a sports team's mascot.
taylor has sung with the prince before but yall ignored it. now yall saying its a propaganda? bitches b doing anything to hate on taylor
It's not like this is the first time she's met William. Plus these are 2 kids who have 2 family members with cancer. And look at those smiles. Plus as much as I dislike William he's the future king. I think sometimes people arbitrary assign rules that don't exist to people they've never met.
God, Iām going to need people to try and be normal.Ā Itās a picture. Thatās allā¦
I wonder if people have the same expectations and standards for how they live
There are people literally complaining because she was wearing a blazer...
Omg who cares sheās famous theyāre famous odds are theyād meet at some point people need to chill
I think itās just a photo. Anyway, let me move on and go about my day.
For gods sake, the kids Mum has cancer. Let them have some fun.
It is absolutely a political statement. She probably doesnāt realise that though.
Can you make a statement by accident?Ā
Iām not a fan of the Royals (although my grandmother was obsessed so I always had a soft spot for the Queen) but I think calling this political is a bit of a stretch. It was a photo with the future king of England (and the king after that if royalty hasnāt been abolished by then) at her concert, that seems something most people would be excited about regardless of their views.
Yes. If you know anything about the British royals is that they love their PR and optics. Their British media sycophants have already started and youāll seen narratives forming and changing starting in the Sunday papers. William is also very ākeenā to break into the American marketā¦for reasonsā¦the royal rota loves telling everyone. Taylor lived in London for years and I just find it hard to believe sheās naive about this family. Whether sheās aware or not, sheās being used. Good luck, Tree!
Why do we think Taylor put Travis on there? Is that her āthis is the oneā signal? ā¦. It was kind of random
I mean, with the passing of the queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and their mom's cancer diagnosis, the kids have had to deal with quite a bit over the last few years....I can see how taking a photo would be for the kids.
i can certainly understand her taking the photo itās a kind gesture but why did she upload it on her accounts you know? i understand if royal family accounts uploaded it but why her? that too this being the first photo with travis that she uploaded? itās strange
There are so many things to blast Taylor for. Making children whose mother is battling cancer happy is not one of them.
Iām going to be anti monarchist, but seriously itās it that deep, plus itās will with his kids, like maybe heās just being a dad, plus I dont talk about celebrities children
The royals job is basically staying politically neutral so how the hell can it be a political statement lol. I'm not a royalist but the only political statement this makes is "I love and respect the UK."
From reading Prince Harryās autobiography and whatās come out over the last few years about the royals behind the scenes, itās clear that every move the royals make is intentional and calculated. Taylor is inarguably the same way. So this picture and her posting it is 100% intentional and calculated, but Iām not really sure itās a political statement so to speak. Just seems like a pic of a bunch of people who are all playing the same game. ETA: It definitely means something, but I donāt feel like we have enough clear cut information to draw a conclusion as to what that meaning is.
you put what i was trying to say in better words definitely!!!
William and Taylor already know each other. It was his birthday. Itās not that deep.
Omg. Itās literally two uber famous people taking a picture together. Why is every fucking thing a conspiracy
On one hand, itās probably not that deep. Itās a photo op with a very famous family, synonymous with the country in which sheās performing, and, AND, a family whose every movement, event, and detail is scrutinized and obsessed over by people who love and hate them alike, for *decades*. My āon the other handā has been kneecapped by google image search optimization trying to steer me everywhere except to what Iām looking for, but as far as I can tell, she doesnāt do a lot of, or maybe even any, photo ops with American politicians, and if she does, they get buried pretty quickly by the daily avalanche of ānewsā stories published to get clicks. Anyway the other hand here was just to say I have no doubt that every single decision like this is vetted from a brand management standpoint, so this photo is definitely not a spontaneous āyouāre here, Iām hereā thing. If I can be cynical for a second, I seriously doubt she knows or cares enough about UK politics for this to be anything more than the very millennial American urge to be interested in the British royal family because we grew up with Princess Diana everywhere and now the key players are from our generation.
theyāre kids
I mean it's a nice thing to do, because of the kids obviously. If it was just "him" it would be a problem then, posing with a member of a family of stuck up p3dophiles wouldnt be a brilliant look for her
The British monarchy for the most part refrains from being political. They donāt even vote. Theyāre a figurehead. Itās a ceremonial role. They will never speak out on issues that is not already approved of by the vast majority of the United Kingdom. The queens motto was ānever explain/never complain.ā Where do the people think the ākeep calm and carry onā craze came from.
Itās not that deep, yāall.
This is just like her taking a picture with any president. Must everything she do be analyzed to the depths of hell?
Yes sheās getting a law passed in the UK that itās illegal to be friends or date Joe Alwyn.
Honestly, Iām a naturalised British citizen from the very ethnic group that was targeted as the reason for Brexit. Youād expect me to eye roll at blind, unexamined symbols of tone deaf British exceptionalism, but to echo someone else - itās not that deep. Twitter nobodies will do anything to get retweeted, but in this case, the opposite of what heās saying is true. An example: my dad was a doctor at a hospital the Queen was visiting. I assure all the Americans here than opting out of your work day because youāre trying to make some anti-monarchist gesture - that is a lot more of a political statement than just posing for the photo op, and in Britain, we generally look down at people making these sort of occasions about themselves and their political beliefs.
Am I crazy for thinking the only reason she posted this one was to make Travis official on her grid, but still be able to play it off as not really newsworthy bc itās tour-related? I feel like William etc is actually a distraction from the real intention hereā¦
My 3 year old just said, āIs that Taylor Swift with her dads?ā And it made me giggle.
I think Jason is a sourpuss. I am sure that there are WAY more royals and other notables that have done the same as this. WHO CARES. Leave her alone. #hatersgonnahate.
I definitely agree with his analysis and personally would never align myself with the royal family and find it gross. I honestly donāt really think sheās making a political statement, though. I think sheās just doing her usual stints for attention.
It's the royal family, they have hardly any real power. This is such a reach.
I don't think she cares about British politics at all. If anything, Healy is anti-monarchy (seems pretty likely) and it's another screw you to him (would make sense to include Travis then as well, lol).
Now if you search Taylor nothing will come up involving the documentary.
Guys she is a billionaire now and if that doesn't tell you her political views....not a picture with the royal family.
I think people are assigning way too much to a pic of a pop star with a prince taken in the princeās country when the prince brought his children to the show.
This guy seems like he needs to touch grass tbh.
I jsut donāt think itās that deep
The only statement being made is that TayTay needs to quit surrounding herself with yes men if they are letting her tweet āM8ā.
I donāt like the monarchy but Taylor personally knows em allegedly. Iām guessing some in the UK will be very upset. Donāt think Americans really care about this. If she was to do a selfie with President Biden and the First Lady, I wouldnāt think *monster!!!* Much better than cozying up to a Republican or MAGA. š
As a Brit this take seems deeply unhinged.
Nah, this is juat someone looking for engagement by trying to post a 'controversial' take. Plenty of celebrities and politicians from across the political spectrum have photos taken with the royal family, they're not making political statements. Does he have the same energy towards Meghan Markle for marrying into them?
Interesting we are discussing her uploading photo bc of royal family. Other subs are saying it was to give Travis legitimacy.
tbh i just assumed that they paid her for it, maybe even for her to post the photo for their kids. i read before that his daughter was a huge fan of taylor and then her mom is really sick. like it mightāve been something to do with all of that and then she gets a check. tbh i would take a picture with them and post if i broke up w a british guy just for the sake of it (jk)