Prince William, Kate Middleton to miss BAFTAs 2025: Here's why
What's the story
Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, have confirmed that they will not be attending the 2025 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Film Awards. Kensington Palace made the announcement ahead of the ceremony on Sunday (February 16). However, despite his absence, Prince William, who has been serving as BAFTA's president since 2010, will appear at the event virtually via a pre-recorded video message.
Reasoning
What is the reason behind the royal absence?
The Times UK's royal editor, Kate Mansey, disclosed that the couple's decision to skip the event is because of its timing. The awards ceremony falls on their children's school break. "It falls on the first weekend of the half-term school holidays," Mansey tweeted. She also added that Prince William will be dedicating his efforts toward "highlighting the next generation of film talent" during this time.
Past attendance
Royal couple's history with the BAFTA Awards
Prince William and Middleton, who are parents to Prince George (11), Princess Charlotte (9), and Prince Louis (6), are regulars at the BAFTAs. However, last year, Prince William attended alone as Middleton was recovering from abdominal surgery, which the royal underwent in January 2024. In 2023, both attended the awards show where Middleton wore a white one-shoulder Alexander McQueen dress and Prince William a black tuxedo with a velvet jacket.
Missed appearances
Previous absences from the BAFTA Awards
The royal couple's attendance at the BAFTA Awards has been a bit of a hit-or-miss. They skipped the 2021 ceremony as William's grandfather Prince Philip had passed away just a day before the event was scheduled. In 2022, they missed it due to "scheduling constraints," Variety reported. Meanwhile, the 2025 BAFTAs will be hosted by David Tennant for the second consecutive year. The film Conclave leads the pack with 12 nominations, closely followed by Emilia Perez with 11 nods.