William and Kate Are Now Skipping This Year’s BAFTA Ceremony
The BAFTA Awards will take place this Sunday, February 16 but Prince William and Princess Kate will not be attending.
Despite the rumors that the royal pair would attend together, Kensington Palace confirmed their upcoming absence to People on Monday. However, Prince William will make a minor virtual appearance in a video package.
The Prince of Wales has been president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to visit the London Screen Academy. William will tour the LSA with a group of Year 13 students as part of his ongoing campaign to boost rising talent in the British film and television industries.
While the Prince has been a red carpet guest for years, the Princess has not. Last year, Princess Kate did not attend because she was recovering from abdominal surgery. Shortly after, Middleton announced that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer. Neither the Princess nor the Palace have specified the type of cancer she was undergoing treatment for.
Princess of Wales shared that she had finished chemo in September 2024 and considered herself “cancer-free.” Last month, she announced that she was officially in remission.
In 2021, Kate attended the BAFTAs solo, but the prince opted not to attend due to the recent death of his grandfather, Prince Phillip. The following year, the pair couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts.
Kensington Palace gave no reason or explanation for William and Kate’s absence. However, given recent events in the royal, the prestigious British award show most likely does not fall high on the list of priorities, or their packed schedule, nor does it prioritize Kate’s cancer treatments.
This year’s BAFTAs will take place this Sunday at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. David Tennant is returning to host for the second year in a row.
Conclave and Emilia Pérez lead the pack of films nominated at the BAFTAs this year. Other films widely nominated include Anora, Wicked, A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, and Kneecap.
To see a complete list of BAFTA nominations, click here.
Writer | Tweet me @jamiem_torres
