The 2024 77th BAFTA Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London just unearthed its biggest first for the day. Standing as the president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Prince William walked down the red carpet for the first time without his wife, Kate Middleton, ever since he held that position from 2010 onwards. The Prince of Wales arrived with a black tuxedo, a bow tie, and a professional outlook of sheer royalty, spending a good chunk of his first minutes interacting with the general attendees.

The Princess of Wales, who has taken to complete rest owing to abdominal surgery, had to opt out of accompanying her husband. Additionally, Prince William also marked his second consecutive appearance after a gap of two years in the early 2020s owing to the pandemic. The royal may take to the stage to present some of the most prestigious awards this night, including Best Picture and Best Director, for which a fierce race stands in the running.

As the presiding head, the Duke of Cornwall will address the winners and nominees backstage after their win. Additionally, if the 2023 BAFTA Awards are anything to go by, then Prince William may also offer an insightful speech during the ceremony. Complemented by his wife, in 2023, the working royal also presented a Fellowship award to film editor Thelma Schoonmaker while weighing down on the importance of the arts.

Incidentally, the latest public appearance by the Duke comes at a time of his taking on additional responsibilities.

Prince William carries new roles as he marks his BAFTA appearance

The news of King Charles III requiring hospitalization owing to his cancer diagnosis came as a twin shocker for the royal family as Kate Middleton also took relief from her royal duties during the same period. In such an extraordinary case, the Duke of Cambridge took on additional roles as the next heir-apparent to the throne. Before his current BAFTA appearance, Prince William had also attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle and marked his presence at a gala dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity.

The heightened sense of duty also came amid ties with his brother, Prince Harry, showing no signs of thawing anytime soon. While the younger sibling did attend to his ailing father, their meeting lasted no more than an hour. Furthermore, the Duke of Sussex did not meet or speak with Prince William or any of his other immediate family, even as the Duchess, Meghan Markle did not accompany him on the sojourn.

What are your thoughts on Prince William attending the BAFTA 2024? Let us know in the comments below.