Taylor Swift’s upcoming wedding is set to be the event of the decade, so it’s no surprise that Meghan Markle might be eager to secure an invitation.
The Duchess has reportedly been ‘snubbed’ by the singer in the past, after failing to land her as a guest on her podcast, but she seems undeterred in her bid to capture Taylor’s attention.
This week, Meghan used the song ‘Opalite’ from the singer’s most recent album, The Life Of A Showgirl, as the soundtrack to a clip promoting her latest range of As Ever products.
Opalite is widely understood to be about Taylor’s romance with her fiancé, Travis Kelce, whose birthstone is Opal, and the song includes romantic lyrics such as ‘I can bring you love’ and ‘never met no one like you before’.
Far from a casual coincidence, Meghan’s song choice seems to be a strategic move – and is her most overt olive branch to Swift to date.
The royal was quick to ‘like’ news of the couple’s engagement in August on Instagram, despite the announcement threatening to overshadow the release of the second season of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan.
But although Meghan certainly has the credentials to be the perfect Swiftie, Taylor herself appears to be firmly ‘Team Wales’ and has enjoyed a close friendship with Prince William over the years.
Earlier this week, Prince Harry failed to help her quest for an invite after appearing stumped when quizzed about the Love Story songstress on Hasan Minaj’s podcast.
Is Meghan angling for an invite to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding? Pictured in her Netflix show
The couple announced their engagement in August (pictured) with Meghan, and Prince William and Kate, liking the news on Instagram
The Duchess was reported to have attended the singer’s Eras Tour in 2023 when she stopped in Los Angeles.
Meghan was even said to have jumped out of her seat to dance to You Belong With Me from her 2008 Fearless album and told crowds ‘let’s go back to high school!’, according to People Magazine.
However, Meghan did not appear to be in the VIP tent and did not take a photograph with the singer.
Of course, when Swift stopped at Wembley Stadium in London last June, she also met Meghan and Prince Harry’s estranged family member Prince William, who had delighted fans with his ‘dad dancing’ in the stands.
Prince William brought his two children, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, to the concert, where they met both Swift and Kelce backstage.
Swift posed for an adorable selfie with the royal family in London at the time, as they were all smiles.
At the time, royal fans interpreted the decision to meet William and his children as a dig at Harry and Meghan, with one person writing: ‘Oh man the shade!!! To not only Meghan & Harry, but also her ex London Boy. Bravo Taylor Swift and Prince William.’
Other posts included ‘Taytay is Team Wales all the way’ and ‘You never saw Harry and Meghan get that close to Taylor Swift. Thanks for choosing the right side Taylor.’
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s official X account posted a adorable photo William, George and Charlotte with Swift and Kelce – with the caption: ‘Thank you Taylor Swift for a great evening!’
Meghan appeared to extend her most overt olive branch to Taylor to date by using her song Opalite in her Instagram stories this week (pictured)
Meghan gave the couple a ‘like’ on their announcement shortly after it was posted
Soon after, the popstar posted a selfie with the royals and her boyfriend to say: ‘Happy birthday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start’ in a touching message to the heir for his 42nd birthday.
More recently, Meghan was upstaged again after Taylor’s engagement post received a rare like from the Prince and Princess of Wales’s official account on Instagram.
It’s unlikely Meghan’s husband Prince Harry will be much help in securing her invitation to the event of the year, either.
In a seeming indication of their lack of closeness – when Harry was quizzed about the queen of pop’s growing ‘feud’ with British singer Charli XCX, the Prince appeared stunned, having limited knowledge of the so-called ‘diss track’ drama.
During an interview on the latest episode of the show Hasan Minaj Doesn’t Know last night, the American comedian asked the Duke: ‘What do you think of this Charli XCX Taylor Swift beef?’
But Harry, seemingly baffled, responded: ‘The what?… Oh no’.
‘No, this is serious, because was Charlie’s diss track even a diss track?’, Minaj continued.
The suspected conflict between the two pop princesses is believed to be in reference to lyrics that feature in Taylor’s new album, The Life Of A Showgirl.
Prince William brought his two children, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, to the concert, where they met both Swift and Kelce backstage
When Harry was quizzed about the queen of pop’s growing ‘feud’ with British singer Charli XCX on the latest episode of the show Hasan Minaj Doesn’t Know, the Prince appeared stunned, having limited knowledge of the so-called ‘diss track’ drama
By contrast, William and megastar Swift have long known each other – the pair shared the stage at Kensington Palace to perform ‘Living On A Prayer with Bon Jovi at a charity event in 2013.
The meeting followed claims in the Wall Street Journal in June 2023 that Swift turned down an invitation to appear on Meghan’s podcast despite receiving a ‘personal letter’ from the Duchess.
The pop singer was asked by Meghan herself to appear on Archetypes, but she declined through her representative, it was said.
It was even said that Meghan had tried again to land an A-lister such as Swift or Beyonce as a guest on her female empowerment podcast, Confessions Of A Female Founder, earlier this year.
‘No one’s picking up the phone’, one source close to the production claimed at the time, adding: ‘The show is not landing’.
‘There’s no Taylor Swift. No Beyoncé. Not even a Hailey Bieber. And when you’re pitching female empowerment, that’s a problem. It speaks volumes for her pulling power. She’s not happy about her lack of appeal’, they added.
The Mail previously revealed in 2021 how Harry and Meghan were protected by Taylor Swift’s bodyguards during a whistle stop tour of New York City.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were driven around and guarded by the security detail, including a former NYPD officer who was also Swift’s head of security.
Taylor Swift, Jon Bon Jovi and Prince William are pictured singing Livin’ On A Prayer on stage at the Centrepoint Gala Dinner at Kensington Palace in London on November 26, 2013
William previously said of his duet with Taylor at the 2013 charity event for Centrepoint that he obeyed ‘like a puppy’ her demand he join her on-stage.
He recalled in a 2021 interview: ‘I can’t believe I’m actually telling you this story – I turn up and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet.
‘And then, I went inside, met everybody, a lot of handshaking to do those nights, a lot of chatting. I try and be charming and interactive.
‘She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye and says: “Come on, William – let’s go and sing.”
‘To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I’m cringing at what happened next, and I don’t understand why I gave in.
‘But, frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm and says, “Come with me” – I got up like a puppy and went: “Yeah, OK, that seems like a great idea. I’ll follow you.”
‘I walked up on stage in a trance and then sort of halfway through Jon Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer song, I wake up.’
Taylor and Travis announced their engagement in August, with the singer showing off a mammoth ring.
William, who spoke about the iconic moment in 2021, said he obeyed ‘like a puppy’ when the glamorous pop star ordered him on stage for the impromptu performance with Jon Bon Jovi. Pictured 2013
‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,’ Swift captioned the set of photos, which showed Kelce down on his knees in what looked to be an enchanted garden full of pink, white, and red flowers.
Swift wore a $400 striped silk-blend dress by Ralph Lauren for the photos, which featured a ruched top and halter neckline.
The couple went public with their relationship in September 2023 when the singer appeared alongside Travis’s mother, Donna, at a Kansas Chiefs game, with the story of their unlikely romance captivating the world’s attention.
For now, details of their upcoming high-profile wedding have been kept tightly under wraps but did tell BBC Radio 1 host Greg James that they are organising a destination wedding.
Appearing on Hits Radio, she was asked if her close friend Ed Sheeran will be performing at her wedding, and she admitted it would be hard for him not to.
‘I mean it would be hard to keep him from it I think! That’s the thing, he’s like, “I’m always being asked to sing at weddings,” and you’re like, “Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it!”‘ she said lightheartedly.