What does 'M8' mean in Taylor Swift's message to Prince William?

Prince William may not yet be the King of England but, overnight, he’s become King of the Swifties after an enthusiastic appearance at Wembley Stadium.

The future monarch rang in his 42nd birthday by taking his lucky kids Prince George, 10, and Charlotte, nine, to the first leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in London.

Swift was clearly delighted by her royal entourage, tweeting a selfie of the trio alongside her boyfriend Travis Kelce and herself, reading: “Happy Bday M8!

“London shows are off to a splendid start.”

And yet, the joyful message has prompted confusion by some, wondering if “M8” is some sort of regal code name.

In fact, there is no secret meaning here. It's just text language connoting the friendly address “mate”.

And, indeed, Swift and William have known each other for years, having performed on stage together at a 2013 charity event at Kensington Palace.

The surprise collaboration saw the Duke of Cambridge accompany the pop sensation and Jon Bon Jovi as they belted out ‘Livin' On A Prayer’.

Later recalling the moment in a 2021 interview, William confessed: "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.

"[Taylor] puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye and says: 'Come on, William - let's go and sing'."

The dad-of-three admitted he obeyed her “like a puppy”, adding that he was "cringing" just recalling the incident.

Raw: Prince William Rocks With Swift, Bon Joviwww.youtube.com

And yet, the 42-year-old clearly has no problem shaking off his pride and letting loose every once in a while.

Never has this been more evident than at Swift’s London concert on Saturday night (22 June), where he was filmed shamelessly losing himself in the music.

William was filmed by another attendee at the concert happily dancing along to Swift’s 2014 hit Shake It Off.

The clip shows him waving his arms about – a huge grin on his face – clearly living his best life.

And the moment was, inevitably, seized upon by fellow fans of the pop superstar.

"Prince William being a 1989 girlie is taking me OUT,” wrote one Twitter/X user.

While another concluded admiringly: “He’s a Prince but he’s a King for that.”

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