Travis Kelce reupped his regal nickname for his sister-in-law Kylie Kelce.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end was reading fan mentions on the Jan. 31 “New Heights” podcast episode, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, where he delightfully referred to his sister-in-law as “Princess Kyana,” a spin on the royal title of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
“Our first fan mention is from Princess Kyana herself,” he said. “That’s right, Kylie Kelce, who commented on the video of Jason, talking about the shirtlessness.”
Travis Kelce was referring to the now-iconic moment when Jason Kelce, a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, took his shirt off after his younger brother scored a touchdown during the Jan. 21 matchup between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.
Jason Kelce spoke about the moment on the Jan. 24 podcast episode, where he said he told his wife, “I’m not asking for permission, I’m doing this,” seconds before he ripped his shirt off. Then, Kylie Kelce responded to the quote with a reference to her weekslong push to get their family a feline friend: “’I’m not asking for permission, I’m doing this.’ — the exact quote I will say when I’m grabbing the keys to go get a cat.”
But how did the nickname Princess Kyana, a mashup of Kylie Kelce’s and Diana’s names, come to be?
Kylie Kelce’s nickname first appeared on the “New Heights” podcast during the Nov. 15 episode, where Jason Kelce was spreading the word about a kelly green Philadelphia Eagles jacket up for a charity auction — signed by none other than his wife.
“For those of you that don’t know… in Philadelphia, this jacket is actually known as the Princess Diana jacket because there is an iconic photo of Princess Diana wearing this kelly green Eagles jacket,” Jason Kelce said. “The Eagles Autism Foundation is auctioning off this jacket that was inspired by Princess Diana and they decided to use none other than Kylie Kelce to model it this year.”
Travis Kelce responded by squealing in delight: “Princess Kylie!”
He then smiled as he cracked his pun: “Princess Kyana.”
“Princess Kyana,” Jason Kelce repeated through laughter.
Diana At Wetherby School (Jayne Fincher / Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)
In 1991, Princess Diana was spotted sporting the jacket as she dropped off her son Prince Harry at school in London. The Eagles Autism Foundation auctioned off a replica of the one worn by Princess Diana, also signed by Kylie Kelce, which ended up selling for $100,000 in November.
The piece sparked a bidding war between two notable Philadelphia celebrities. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star Rob McElhenney said on the Nov. 29 episode of “New Heights” he bid $62,000 for the jacket, but that he didn’t end up winning the coveted item.
After submitting his $62,000 bid, inspired by the number of his “favorite” Eagles player Jason Kelce, McElhenney said he got a text: “I’ve been the one bidding against you, bozo.”
The sender was none other than his wife, Kaitlin Olson.
“An inside job!” Jason Kelce shouted as Olson, the winner of the jacket, popped up on the podcast.
“This is a foundation that’s important to both of us. The jacket looks great on your wife. It’s clearly for women — I want it!” Olson said.
Travis Kelce brought back his royal title for his sister-in-law when introducing her on the Dec. 29 episode of “New Heights.”
“She’s the Queen of the North! The Duchess of Delco! Princess Kyana!” Travis Kelce shouted as Kylie Kelce smiled and rolled her eyes. “Kylie Kelce, ladies and gentlemen! Making her highly anticipated return to ‘New Heights,’ please welcome, Kylie Kelce.”
Fans have come to love the nickname, repeating it dozens of times across social media websites since November.
“I hope ‘Princess Kyana’ is loving every bit of her life!” one user posted on X.
“all hail Princess Kyana,” a TikToker captioned their video.
“Princess Kyana bejeweled ofc,” another X user wrote, referencing the Taylor Swift track “Bejeweled.”
And it isn’t her only royal title — she’s also known amongst Philadelphia Eagles fans as “the People’s Princess of Philadelphia.”
While Travis Kelce and the Chiefs are headed to the 2024 Super Bowl, recent reports claim his brother is retiring from the NFL — though he has not officially confirmed the news himself.
Jason Kelce said decisions about his future in the league are not definitive on the Jan. 17 episode of “New Heights.”
“I didn’t announce what I was doing on purpose despite I guess what’s been leaked to the media. … I just don’t think you’re in a position after a game like that to really make that decision. I just don’t,” he said. “There’s too much emotion in the moment, there’s too much going down in the moment, to really fully grasp that decision. I’m not trying to be dramatic and continue to draw this thing out, I’m really not.”
He added: “When it’s time to officially announce what’s happening in the future, it’ll be done at in a way that’s definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me. In the future there will be something said, I guess.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com