Kylie Kelce apologized to the Princess of Wales on her October 1 podcast after previously referring to her as “Princess Kate” in an invitation to discuss field hockey and motherhood, explaining she was unaware the informal title was considered offensive.
What started as a casual podcast invitation has turned into an unexpected lesson in royal etiquette. Kylie Kelce used an episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast to clear the air after addressing Catherine by a nickname that drew criticism from listeners.
The exchange highlights how American casualness and British protocol can occasionally collide, even across high-profile celebrity crossovers. While the invitation itself captured widespread attention, the subsequent correction revealed a distinct difference between how the public refers to royalty and how the family prefers to be addressed.
Kylie Kelce Invites Princess Kate to Her Podcast
The saga began during the September 24 episode of “Not Gonna Lie,” when Kylie extended an open invitation to the royal. She had just finished discussing Catherine’s appearance at a royal engagement where the royal showed off her skills at shinty, a traditional Scottish sport.
Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, if you ever wanted to come on and chitchat about some field hockey and maybe kids. I don’t know. We got a couple things in common.
Kylie Kelce, via As
By October 1, however, Kylie returned to the topic with a direct mea culpa. She explained to her listeners that she was unaware that calling Princess Catherine by her widely recognized media moniker could cause offense. She admitted her mistake on air and outlined her intention to correct it.
I love learning, so I was unaware that calling Princess Catherine, Princess Kate was offensive. I didn’t know that. Now I know that.
Kylie Kelce, via GB News
The 34-year-old then spoke directly to the royal, stating, Princess Catherine, or the Princess of Wales, I apologise,
and promised that she would get that sorted immediately, starting now.
She added that her intention was simply to be respectful, stating, I would like to refer to people in the most respectful way and how they feel respected.
Catherine’s formal title has been Catherine, Princess of Wales since September 2022, following King Charles’s accession and Prince William’s inheritance of the title. Before that, Middleton was known as the Duchess of Cambridge after her and William’s wedding in 2011. While those are the proper ways to formally address the princess, “Kate Middleton” remains one of the most recognizable and widely searched names associated with the royal. Simon Vigar, the Channel 5 royal correspondent, previously explained that friends in sixth form and university called her Kate, as William did, but to her family and childhood friends, she was always Catherine, noting that William called her Kate in their 2010 engagement interview before official briefings shifted.
Building Bridges Between Philadelphia and Kensington Palace
Though an audio interview between a retired NFL star’s spouse and a senior royal might seem improbable, the two families share an established rapport. Kylie pointed out in her initial invitation that their respective husbands had already crossed paths on air earlier in the year.
Kylie also noted that she wants Middleton on her podcast so they can discuss that they both played field hockey, the royal’s cancer diagnosis and battle, and more.
Refining the Vocabulary for Potential Royal Company
Beyond the title correction, Kylie addressed listener feedback concerning her notoriously colorful vocabulary. On Thursday’s “Not Gonna Lie” episode, Kylie read a comment from a listener who said Middleton is too refined and beautiful to be subjected to [Kylie’s] cursing,
adding, You’ll need to clean up your act,
which Kylie said she agrees with, noting she is respectful of the situations she is put in and at least respectful to the people she is speaking to.
Yet, she also tempered expectations regarding the likelihood of the interview actually happening, clarifying that she isn’t exactly expecting to see the Princess of Wales walk into the studio next week. While she noted that they share common ground through motherhood, sports, and Catherine’s cancer battle, she emphasized that she does not think that anybody owes me anything and doubted the royal has an open slot in her schedule for a podcast appearance.