Prince William Proves to Be the Ultimate Cool Dad—Why Those Taylor Swift Pics Likely Gave Him (and the Palace PR Machine) a Lift

If there's one thing I've learned about the royal family this year, it's that they're a resilient bunch. In the past few months, I've seen Sarah Ferguson share encouraging health updates after announcing her skin cancer diagnosis, and Kate Middleton was all smiles when she made her long-awaited return to the spotlight after being diagnosed with cancer. Even King Charles returned to his royal duties in good spirits while receiving cancer treatments. But as much as I admire their ability to bounce back and handle such somber news with grace, it truly feels like the royals haven't been able to catch a break.

Take, for instance, Princess Anne's recent hospitalization. This morning, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement that the Princess Royal "sustained minor injuries and a concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate." (Thankfully, she is expected to make a "full and swift recovery.") And of course, I can't forget about the many headlines speculating about Prince William being under immense pressure. But amid these concerning updates, I was pleasantly surprised to see the playful side of Prince William at Taylor Swift's London concert this weekend.

In case you missed it, the Prince of Wales marked his 42nd birthday in the best possible way—by joining thousands of Swifties at the singer's Eras Tour concert. He was accompanied by his kids, Prince George (10) and Prince Charlotte (9), and the trio even snapped a selfie with the pop star.

According to PureWow Senior Director of Special Projects & Royals and Co-Host of Royally Obsessed Rachel Bowie, their backstage moment with Swift was a needed PR boost, given that we've been inundated with so much heavy news. She tells me, "I think Taylor Swift gives Prince William a PR lift at a time when he needs a bit of levity in the news cycle surrounding him. Recent headlines have scrutinized his royal workload, but have also felt heavy and somber as he navigates the pressures of caring for both his wife and his father, who are undergoing cancer treatment."

Even better? Rare footage surfaced of the prince busting a few moves to "Shake It Off." Bowie continued, "A night out with the kids to see Taylor Swift, plus video of him cutting loose and busting out the dad moves on his 42nd birthday? It's the perfect palette cleanser in a difficult year, but also shows William in a more joyful state and serves up the fun and less serious side of him we rarely get to see these days."

A quick look at fans' responses to the dancing footage will tell you we're not the only ones who think this. One commenter said, "William deserves to 'shake it off,' he's had a tough year." Another added, "This is the happiest I've seen that little family in a while! They deserve this freeness!"