Prince William and Kate Middleton Will Attend This Year’s BAFTA Awards

After a few years away from the BAFTA red carpet, Prince William and Kate Middleton will be present at the Royal Festival Hall to celebrate the best in British TV and film on February 19. Variety reports that the couple’s attendance was confirmed only in the last few days, adding that they will watch the show from the audience before meeting with performers and winners backstage. This year’s nominees include Cate Blanchett, who is a member of the Earthshot Prize board alongside William.

He and Kate have been a regular presence on the BAFTA red carpet for the last decade, but their last appearance at the ceremony took place in February 2020, when Brad Pitt told a joke about Prince Harry that elicited a laugh from the royal couple. Though an in-person event was held in 2021, William dropped out after the death of Prince Philip, and in 2022, he declined to attend due to “diary constraints.” 

William took over as the president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2010, and in the years since, he has used his speeches at their events to discuss the value of mentorship and diversity in the industry. In April 2022, he and Kate hired the organization’s longtime CEO, Amanda Berry, to serve as the head of the Royal Foundation, the registered charity that oversees their philanthropic ventures. Last month, Kate visited the BAFTA headquarters to launch a short film for her new early years campaign, Shaping Us.

The news comes just days after a source close to the royal household told People that William is still upset with his brother after the revelations in the memoir, Spare. “William is the one who is most upset and needs time to calm down,” the source said.

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