We all love to see the Princess of Wales at the BAFTAs (she's known to turn out an amazing look for the awards ceremony), but this year you might be disappointed as she and Prince William are sadly not attending. Despite his position as the president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Kensington Palace confirmed the pair won't be there, earlier this month.
Because of his role, the pair are known to regularly attend the event. But on February 10, Kensington Palace confirmed they wouldn't be attending, but instead a pre-recorded video of him would be included.
Why aren't Kate Middleton and Prince William at the BAFTAs this year?
According to The Mail on Sunday, the reason they're missing it this year is a family holiday to the Carribean island of Mustique. The outlet reports they're there with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, during the kids' school break.
Kate was also absent last year, while William attended the 2024 BAFTAs solo, as she was on a break from public events as she recovered from abdominal surgery. It was later revealed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer, which she is now in remission from and is gradually returning back to public duties.
Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis was announced in March 2024 just months after her father-in-law King Charles III announced his own diagnosis. She said at the time, 'In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful.
'However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.' Kate took a significant hiatus from royal duties for the majority of the year, making brief returns to the public.
Kate and William last attended the BAFTAs together in 2023, when she wore an one-shoulder gown by Alexander McQueen with black opera gloves. They first attended the ceremony together in 2017.
Prince William is reportedly focussing his efforts on highlighting the next generation of film talent, and will visit the London screen academy on Wednesday, where he'll take a tour and speak to film and TV talent.
It comes after he described 2024 as the ‘hardest year’ of his life following Kate’s cancer diagnosis and his father’s. ‘Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,’ he told reporters. ‘I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.’