Royal fans have been eagerly awaiting the 2025 BAFTAs on Feb. 16 in hopes that Princess Kate would make her big red carpet return, but on Monday, Feb. 10, palace sources confirmed that neither the Prince or Princess of Wales will attend the star-studded ceremony.
"The Prince of Wales will not attend the @BAFTA awards ceremony on Sunday but will instead focus his efforts on highlighting the next generation of film talent," Kate Mansey, royal editor for the Times, posted on X, adding, "This year it falls on the first weekend of the half-term school holidays."
Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, England, and in the U.K., schools go on break between Monday, Feb. 17 to Friday, Feb. 21.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales have made it clear that family is their first priority—especially after Princess Kate's cancer battle last year—the announcement drew criticism from numerous royal fans on social media, especially since William serves as the president of BAFTA.
"Why don’t @BAFTA appoint a president who actually attend their ONCE A YEAR awards?" one X user commented, while another posted, "Does it annoy you that you have to miss your kiddo’s holidays and events when Wills gets to take off for every school break? I’d lose my mind…"
Prince William attended the 2024 BAFTAs without Kate as she recovered from abdominal surgery, with the Princess of Wales last walking the event's red carpet in a re-fashioned white Alexander McQueen gown in 2023.
It's unclear if the Waleses are heading on a family vacation during half-term, but they often spend school holidays at their country house, Anmer Hall.
In lieu of supporting the BAFTAs this weekend, Prince William will attend an event at the London Screen Academy on Feb. 12 "to meet and shine a spotlight on the next generation of UK filmmakers and creative professionals," per Kensington Palace.
