Taylor Swift
Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame alleges that Taylor Swift turned down an invitation by King Charles III to perform at his coronation in May this year.
While Scobie did not expand on the pop star’s decision in the book and has not addressed it publicly, the All Too Well megastar, 33, had been scheduled to perform an Eras Tour concert on May 6 in Nashville.
Her Nashville concert overlapped with the day of the coronation. However, Swift wasn’t the only famous artist to turn down the royal offer, which apparently created a “challenge” for the coronation’s organisers and has led many to believe that artists are now avoiding working with the royals.
According to Rolling Stone, several British musicians reportedly turned down invitations by King Charles and his family to perform at his coronation earlier this year. These artists included Adele, Harry Styles, Robbie Williams, the Spice Girls, and Sir Elton John.
Most of the musicians refrained from commenting on why they couldn’t attend the coronation ceremony, albeit for John, whose team confirmed that the Bennie and the Jets singer was asked but had a prior commitment that fell on the same day.
The uncertainty has led experts to suggest that most artists were strategically choosing to distance their brand from the monarchy in the wake of numerous high-profile scandals over recent years.
Simon Jones, a PR professional who works for a number of notable British artists such as Little Mix and Niall Horan, told the outlet: “The royal family has faced a number of PR disasters in recent times, and anyone performing at the show would have to consider whether there would be a backlash from appearing among their fans.”
Despite the apparent difficulties in finding artists, the coronation went on smoothly with Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Andrea Bocelli accepting invitations to perform at the event. Nicole Scherzinger and British pop group Take That also played on May 6. The royal family looked elated to be there during the performances.
Both Swift and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, failed to attend the deliberately grand ceremony, yet Meghan managed to make it to one of the Wildest Dreams singer’s concerts in August.
Meghan and her British friend Lucy Fraser joined forces in Los Angeles to attend one of Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour concerts at SoFi Stadium. The two enjoyed their time at the show with Markle smiling and singing along to You Belong With Me in the stands, as reported by Page Six.
Prince Harry was absent for the big night out, instead embarking on a business trip in Asia.
The royals still have the opportunity to catch Swift perform next year as she sets off on her European leg of the tour, with the singer taking the stage in Britain in June 2024.