7 Times Prince William's Dance Moves Amused Royal Watchers

Of all the duties William, Prince of Wales has as the heir to the British throne, showing off his skills on the dance floor just doesn't seem like it should be one of them. Yet, you might be surprised to see just how many times Prince William has been spotted getting his groove on in public. From dancing with locals while abroad on royal tours to simply enjoying a night at the club while out on a boys' trip, we've gotten quite a few chances to see William's favorite dance moves over the years. 

From cringing, laughter, and sometimes even genuine admiration, William's dancing has elicited quite a wide array of reactions from royal fans. Whether he has two left feet or he's the best dancer of any future monarch the U.K. has ever seen seems to be up for debate. In any event, William and his surely worn-out dancing shoes have made quite an impression on the public over the years. And, we have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of his moves. Get ready for all the times William's dance floor behavior has taken the world by storm. 

After a year chock-full of health crises, family feuds, and PR drama, the royal family surely needed a chance to let loose. When William, Prince of Wales, attended Taylor Swift's Eras Tour with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, he did just that, and he made headlines doing it. On June 21, William and his two older children were in the audience at the first London stop of the Eras Tour. William, George, and Charlotte got a selfie with Swift and her beau, Travis Kelce, but that wasn't the only documentation of the future king at the Eras Tour that made waves online.

[embed=https://x.com/sohighschooll/status/1804438883213406503

A video taken at the concert shows William taking the lyrics of Swift's hit, "Shake it Off," to heart. Footage of him dancing to the song with reckless abandon in the audience went viral. One X, formerly known as Twitter, user accurately labeled William's dance as "the ultimate dad moves." Another added, "And that's ladies and gents..the future king of England." While there were certainly plenty of folks poking fun at William's skillful shaking, there were also many supportive responses. One fan wrote: "He has a father & wife with cancer. So happy for him & the kids having a fun time. They deserve it." Another advised folks to "Give him a break he's had a tough year." As Swift put it, though "the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate," and William was just shaking it off. 

In 2022, William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, embarked on a Caribbean tour. They stopped in Hopkins, a coastal village in Belize, where they spent time with members of the Garifuna community and learned about their culture. During their stay, William danced with a woman from the town, Laura Cacho. Not only did William's dance moves become the talk of the internet, but they also clearly impressed the folks who watched it in person.

Laura Cacho, who danced with Prince William:
"He shook his waist to the music. He had beautiful rhythm. It was a pleasure for me." She said Kate was "excellent" as well.
"They were shaking their waists like nobody's business." #RoyalTourCaribbean pic.twitter.com/Bufj2aYE72

— Royal Fancams (@RoyalFancams) March 20, 2022

Cacho tole People that William and Kate "are an amazing couple and we would love them to come any time with their children Charlotte, George and Louis." She added: "They really know how to dance. They took the culture from me and I didn't need to teach them. They're so good at it. They were excellent."

 Yet, despite being a natural when he started dancing, it seems that it did take a bit of convincing to get William out on the dance floor. "It was amazing. It was a lot to get a prince out to dance, and I held his hand," said one fellow attendee. Another recalled using brotherly competitiveness to convince him: "I said to William that when Prince Harry came to Belize he was dancing and didn't need encouragement. He is a wild card. William laughed and said, 'Harry's not self-conscious.'" Self-conscious or not, William managed to wow his fellow dancers. 

William, Prince of Wales, has surely made waves with his dancing skills in recent years, but his Belize trip was far from the first time he was convinced to bust a move in public. In celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, visited Tuvalu and participated in a Vaiku Falekaupule ceremony. The couple sported traditional garb and danced together with other guests.

Video – "Exterior shots Prince William & Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge dance along with locals at an inter-island singing celebration. Exterior shot William & Catherine sit chatting on traditional chairs (Sky News/Film Image Partner)
William in tutu 😂 pic.twitter.com/MTPQNYlnCG

— Mace (@RoyaleVision) September 18, 2018

Once again, William's awkward moves caught the attention of the public. Amidst a compilation of his dance moves over the years, a clip of William laughing as he sways his hips and moves his arms went viral on TikTok in 2024. "William's dance is insane," said one commenter. Another TikTok user wrote, "woah prince William got moves." As William sang along and moved his arms around in some very unique motions, he once again proved that his dancing skills are utterly his own. Yet, he also proved that when it's time to hit the dance floor, he always commits, and we have to give him credit for that. 

In September 2016, William, Prince of Wales, visited a London Youth Center and received some special and much-needed dance lessons. He met with a dance troupe called Scariofunk Dance Collective and told the young dancers, "I can never get the shoulder shiver right!" It seems that they were more than happy to help the future king improve his moves. And, William reassured them, "There is no pressure, because I will look ridiculous."

Per People, one 15-year-old dancer said that they'd rate William's dancing five out of 10 but added: "But 10 out of 10 for effort. He was up for it." It seems that whenever William is faced with the opportunity to dance, he isn't afraid to take it, no matter how many eyes are on him. One thing he's not willing to do? Box with a 12-year-old. When one youth center attendee followed William's dance lesson up with a request to show off his boxing chops, the prince skillfully avoided sparring with a child, saying, "I've left my gloves at home." 

You may be able to learn a new dance, but it's not so easy to learn to have swag. Consequently, William, Prince of Wales' "swag dance" was missing some vital components. In 2011, William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, visited a homeless youth center called Centrepoint, which William began supporting in 2005. During their visit, William shared his rendition of the classic shoulder brush dance move, which he called the "swag dance." 

In addition to taking another opportunity to dance like no one is watching while many people are watching, William also cooked with kids at the organization. He and Kate made mince pies during their time at Centrepoint. And, it's clear that their willingness to be engaged and have fun made a positive impact. One young person involved in Centrepoint told the BBC: "They come across quite normal. I didn't feel like... 'this is the future king and queen...' These are people coming to support Centrepoint, and they're willing to help us with whatever we need help with."

Most of William, Prince of Wales' memorable choreography over the years has taken place at public events. So, one might assume that he simply dances when folks he meets while performing royal duties invite him to do so. In reality, though, it seems that William actually enjoys the opportunity to boogie — even in his free time. In 2017, videos surfaced of the future king dancing at Farinet nightclub in Verbier, Switzerland. William had traveled there for a vacation with friends, and he made sure to take advantage of what is surely a rare jaunt to the club for a busy prince.

William grooved to Luniz's "I Got 5 On It," and, as he has become known for, his dancing involved quite a bit of swaying and waving his arms in the air. A fellow nightclub attendee told the Daily Mail about seeing William out on the dance floor in person, "It was a great night and lovely to see the Prince taking time to enjoy normal activities with friends."

In May 2023, King Charles III's Coronation took place, and he officially took over as reigning monarch, making William, Prince of Wales, the next in line to the throne. To celebrate the special occasion, a coronation concert took place, and the royals were front and center to watch stars like Lionel Richie and Katy Perry perform. While watching the concert, William could often be seen standing between Queen Camilla and his oldest child, Prince George. William, of course, danced. Yet, he didn't let loose quite as much as he has on other occasions — maybe since he knew he was being filmed and widely broadcast.

@windsxrs

The Wales Family dancing along to Take That during the coronation Concert outside of Windsor Castle. – -#royal #royalfamily #britishroyals #kingcharles #kingcharlesii #charlesiii #camillaqueenconsort #queenconsortcamilla #queenconsort #queenelizabeth #theking #princeandprincessofwales #princeofwales #princecharles #princewilliam #princegeorge #princegeorgeofwales #princegeorgeofcornwall #princesscharlotte #princelouis #charlesandcamilla #theroyalfamily #monarchy #monarch #princegeorgeofcambridge #catherinemiddleton #princesskate #princesscatherineofwales #princesscharlotteofcambridge #princessroyal #princessanne #princelouisofcambridge #theking #thewalesfamily #princesscharlotteofcornwall #coronationcharlesandcamilla #coronationconcert #concert #royalconcert #takethat

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At the garden party that followed at Buckingham Palace, someone asked if he had fun at the concert. "I did yes, thank you," William replied in the exchange, which was shared on TikTok. Another guest chimed in, saying, "We saw you dancing on the TV!" William was quick to jokingly correct her. "Oh no. That wasn't dancing," he said, before adding: "As you may know, dancing sober is a terrible idea! No, it was a fun weekend."