Prince William Flies Solo in Velvet at the BAFTA Awards 2024
Prince William may be first in line to the British throne, but on Sunday, he reminded the world that he’s also the president—of the British Film and Television Academy, that is.
William stepped out on the red carpet London’s Royal Festival Hall for the BAFTA Awards 2024 for the annual honors. He flew solo for the event, as his wife, Kate Middleton, is in the midst of her lengthy recovery after a planned abdominal surgery in January. Middleton’s calendar has been cleared of official royal engagements until Easter.
William, who has served as president of the organization since 2010, looked princely in a navy blue velvet blazer with black lapels, his crisp white shirt and pocket square set off by a simple black bowtie.
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Sequels are unavoidable in the film world, and in fashion too: The Prince of Wales’ ensemble at last year’s BAFTAs also featured a velvet blazer as its centerpiece. At the 2023 ceremony, William opted for a black double-breasted blazer instead of this year’s blue shade, and was accompanied by Middleton. Last year was Middleton’s first appearance at the ceremony. She wore an ethereal white one-shouldered Alexander McQueen gown, paired with gold statement earrings and dramatic black opera gloves.
Though awards shows are often fertile ground for off-color jokes about attendees from hosts, William can rest easy and enjoy the ceremony without fear of mockery. Scottish actor David Tennant is this year’s BAFTA host, and has promised to keep things friendly.
“We want to have an evening that’s a celebration and that won’t make people feel uncomfortable and won’t have people being roasted in any way, so it will hopefully be an evening of generosity and joy and a love for this industry that is one of the great success stories of this country,” he told outlets ahead of the ceremony.
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