Kylie Kelce has issued a public apology to Catherine, Princess of Wales, after realizing she used an incorrect form of address while inviting her to appear on the popular Not Gonna Lie podcast.
Kelce, the wife of retired NFL star Jason Kelce, addressed the mistake during the October 1 episode of her show.
The 34 year old explained that she had not realized referring to Catherine as "Princess Kate" could be considered inappropriate.
"I didn't know that. Now I know that," Kelce said, adding that she wanted to address people in the most respectful way possible. She then apologized directly and said she would use "Princess Catherine" or "the Princess of Wales" going forward.
What did Kylie Kelce say about Kate?
The story began during the September 24 episode of Not Gonna Lie.
Kelce praised Catherine after seeing the Princess of Wales demonstrate her sporting skills during a royal visit to Scotland.
She then invited Catherine onto her podcast to talk about subjects they have in common, particularly motherhood and their shared interest in field hockey.
During that invitation, however, Kelce referred to her as "Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge."
Catherine has been the Princess of Wales since 2022, following the accession of King Charles III and Prince William becoming Prince of Wales.
Kelce later learned about the issue surrounding the title and returned to the subject in her latest podcast episode.
She promised to correct the mistake
Kelce made clear that she had not intended to cause offense.
After learning more about royal naming conventions, she said she would change the way she refers to Catherine.
The Princess of Wales continues to be widely known internationally as Kate Middleton, the name used extensively by the media since before her marriage to Prince William in 2011. Her formal title, however, is Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The distinction quickly attracted attention online, turning what began as a casual podcast invitation into a discussion about royal etiquette.
The podcast invitation still stands
Despite the apology, Kelce remains interested in having Catherine as a guest.
She described the Princess of Wales as someone she would love to speak with, particularly about motherhood and sport.
Kelce also acknowledged that such an appearance may never happen and stressed that Catherine has no obligation to accept the invitation.
There is already a connection between the Kelce family and the British royals.
Prince William previously appeared on New Heights, the podcast hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce. William also met the Kelce brothers around the time he attended Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert in London with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Kylie Kelce jokes about changing one more thing
Kelce also responded to criticism about whether her usual podcast language would be appropriate if the Princess of Wales ever appeared.
She acknowledged that she would have to tone down her frequent use of swear words in the presence of a royal guest.
For now, there is no indication that Catherine has accepted the invitation.
But Kelce's apology has brought renewed attention to the invitation and to an unexpectedly complicated question: what exactly should people call Kate Middleton?
