Ed Sheeran on Prince William's 'amazing skill' as royal issued him advice: 'No more!'
Ed Sheeran chatted with the royal at the Royal Variety Performance in 2014
Prince William once jokingly advised Ed Sheeran to steer clear of future singing duets with footballer Wayne Rooney, after a now-infamous pub performance surfaced online.
The Thinking Out Loud star had teamed up with the Manchester United player for an impromptu singalong, a moment that caught the royal’s attention.
Prince William issued advice to Ed Sheeran
“Er, no more duets with Wayne Rooney,” Prince William quipped when he met Ed at the Royal Variety Performance in 2014.
His good-natured jab came shortly after a video clip emerged of Wayne singing Lego House off-key, with Ed strumming along on guitar.
Reflecting on the moment, Ed told The Mirror: “I think they have a dude that preps them so they have one thing to mention. He knew something about all the people he met before me. It’s an amazing skill. I was like, ‘Thanks for having me, mate. Nice one.'”
“I don’t know if they’re fans,” he added. “Do royals have iPods and things like that?”
He knew something about all the people he met before me. It’s an amazing skill.
The video that sparked the royal warning featured Wayne enthusiastically, and tunelessly, attempting to sing along to Ed’s hit Lego House, while Ed accompanied him on guitar.
The casual jam took place at a pub gathering following Ed’s concert, after Wayne’s wife, Coleen, helped arrange the meet-up.
“Rooney’s been trying to come to a gig for three years,” Ed explained at the time. “He actually booked me for his birthday party, but I had a gig the same night. Coleen came down to my Leeds show, and said Wayne was going to come down to Manchester with a load of mates.
“They rented out a lovely dingy pub that just did Jagerbombs and beer. Chris Smalling, Wretch 32, and Example were there, as well as our mates. We had a lock-in until 4 am. Then I took it back to my hotel room with everyone, and we finished around 7 am.”
Did Prince William ever sing with Ed Sheeran?
While William has never sung publicly with Ed Sheeran, he did once take to the stage with two other musical icons: Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi.
The unexpected trio performed Livin’ on a Prayer during a Centrepoint charity gala in 2013.
However, the memory still makes the Prince of Wales cringe to this day.
Speaking during a festive episode of Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk in 2021, William confessed: “To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I’m cringing at what happened.”
Recalling the moment, he said he was seated next to Taylor Swift when Jon Bon Jovi started performing.
William revealed: “She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye, and says, ‘Come on, William. Let’s go and sing.'”
Caught off guard, William admitted: “I got up like a puppy and went, ‘Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea.'”
He described being in a “trance” as he joined the pair on stage: “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.”
While William insists public singing isn’t his strong suit, he shared a more light-hearted takeaway.
“I think making a fool of yourself is okay,” the prince said. “Have those moments where you let go.”
The royal and Ed Sheeran crossed paths again at the 2024 Euros. The duo flew to Germany to cheer on England as they battled for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Read more: Princess Kate’s comments about having ‘more babies’ left Prince William stunned
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