Prince William and Kate arrive at Baftas in first public show since Andrew arrest
The Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted arriving at the BAFTA film awards in their first public showing together since Andrew’s arrest.
The royal couple were pictured smiling and holding hands on the red carpet before tonight’s ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank in London.
Kate was wearing a blush dress, while William donned a maroon coloured suit with bow tie for the star-studded event set to be attended by the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo di Caprio.
William and Kate have often attended such events together, with the Prince of Wales having served as president of Bafta since 2010.
In an apparent sign that the recent scandal had taken its toll, the Prince remarked that was not in a ‘calm’ enough state to watch nominated film Hamnet.
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He told Elaine Bedell, the South Bank centre chief executive and BT group chief executive Allison Kirby: ‘I need to be in quite a calm state and I’m not at the moment.
‘I will save it.’
It’s the first time the heir apparent and his wife have been seen together in public since his uncle, the former Duke of York, was pictured after being arrested by officers at the Sandringham estate amid a probe into his time as UK trade envoy.
The Waleses were steadfast in their support for the King, backing a statement from Buckingham Palace in which the monarch shared his ‘deepest concern’ while insisting the ‘law must take its course’.
Tonight’s show could see some awkward moments for the royals, with organisers unable to guarantee the content of winners’ speeches.
The ceremony is also being presenting by Alan Cummings, known for hosting the US edition of The Traitors, who has not been shy in making his views known about the Royal Family.
In 2023, the Scottish actor cited the ‘toxicity of empire’ as his reason for renouncing his OBE.
William and Kate follow the King in continuing with their duties, as Charles appeared at the opening of London Fashion Week on Thursday.
The Princess of Wales herself watched the England rugby side fall short against Ireland in the Six Nations Cup.
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