Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Paige Holland

Kate Middleton and Prince William's excuse for missing BAFTAs leaves bosses 'very disappointed'

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will not be attending the BAFTAs for the second year in a row, leaving organisers "very disappointed".

Prince William and Kate are understood to have turned down an invite to the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, over "diary constraints."

Instead, organisers will show a pre-recorded message from the Duke.

A source said: "Prince William is always a huge draw, not least as it's the first year back in person after the pandemic.

"But BAFTA were told that diary constraints precluded him from attending in person this year. It's such a shame and everyone is very disappointed."

Prince William has been president of the organisation since 2010 and is a regular at the awards ceremony.

They won't be attending over "diary constraints" (dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)

Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up.

Last year, Wiliam was set to deliver a video speech at the virtual ceremony, celebrating the resilience of the film industry during the pandemic.

But he was forced to pull out following the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip, who was the first president of the awards.

The TV source added: "That was, of course, totally understandable. But everyone expected him to attend this year and the fact he is not, is most unfortunate."

Prince William and Kate Middleton (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

There has been tension between the Palace and the BBC over recent coverage of the Royal Family.

Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace condemned journalist Amol Rajan’s The Princes and the Press series, over claims that courtiers leaked negative stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

However, sources close to William played down the decision not to attend as being linked to the row.

A BAFTA spokesman said: "We're delighted that BAFTA president The Duke of Cambridge will be participating in the EE BAFTA Film Awards via a pre-recorded video message."

The spokesperson confirmed that he won't physically attend the ceremony, saying: "Due to diary constraints he is not able to attend in person this year."

The 75th BAFTAs hosted by actress Rebel Wilson will celebrate the very best of British and international film talent and will be broadcast on BBC1.

Have you got a story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.