Following the arrest of Prince William's uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, it's likely been a troubling week for the royal household. Never one to dwell on unrest, Prince William and Princess Kate rose above the drama on Sunday, attending the BAFTAs in London, walking the red carpet outside London's Royal Festival Hall, where they were welcomed by Sir Kenneth Olisa, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London.
© WireImagePrincess Kate donned a floaty Gucci dress, which she previously wore back in 2019, while our future King looked smart as ever in a dapper burgundy velvet suit. The royal couple smiled for the crowds as they walked the red carpet, with the Princess of Wales' perfectly curled hair cascading down her back in true fairytale style.
© Getty ImagesOnce inside, the Prince and Princess chatted to an all-female line-up of BAFTA executives, CEO Jane Millichip and Chair Sara Putt, Chair of the Film Committee Emily Stillman and Emma Baehr, Executive Director Awards and Content.
Undeniable tension
While the duo looked delighted to be together at the event – their first time since 2023, with Princess Kate taking several years out from the event while undergoing cancer treatment – the strains upon the family were clear to see, according to body language expert Judi James, who told HELLO!: "William and Kate delivered their usual, impeccable red carpet A-list glamour here, but there are a handful of tells that might reflect the undeniable tensions of the past week."
© BAFTA via Getty Images"[The royals] walk side by side with their arms hanging loose at their sides, with a closeness of the dangling inner hands suggesting a desire to clasp hands here or perhaps to perform the kind of signature truncated touches, pats and strokes they often give each other to support each other at events like this."
It is their lack of physical touch that Judi notes could be sign of stress.
"Instead of touching, though, we can see the fingers of William's right hand slightly curled so that his index finger touches his thumb, hinting at a self-soothe ritual."
Prince William also appeared stressed, with Judi commenting there are moments "where his lips are pulled inward and his brows pulled into a small frown, suggesting some anxiety".
© BAFTA via Getty ImagesThough Princess Kate never allows her smile to falter, Judi adds: "Kate's smiles are as impeccable as usual, although there is a very slightly edge-to-edge placing of the teeth, which again could signal inner tension."
There was no formal announcement when Prince William and the Princess of Wales took their seats in the auditorium. Their arrival was somewhat understated, yet there was a noticeable buzz as heads turned to catch a glimpse of the royal couple, an eyewitness told HELLO!.
Before the broadcast began, BAFTA Chair Sara Putt referenced William from the stage, prompting cameras to pan towards the pair. A warm round of applause broke out, with some cheers audible across the hall. William appeared slightly flushed as Kate turned towards him with a smile.
Prince William's candid comments
On top of looking slightly on edge, comments made by the Prince of Wales, while chatting to the BAFTA executives, hinted further at his current unease.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking on whether he has watched Hamnet, one of the films up for the Best Film award, which is known to be distressing, the future King admitted: "I need to be in quite a calm state and I am not at the moment. I will save it."
Princess Kate on the other hand, has watched the film, revealing it left her in "floods of tears". While she looked the picture of glowing perfection as always, the royal joked of watching the film ahead of the awards ceremony: “I thought it was a bad idea, actually. Ended up with very puffy eyes."
Public appearances
Despite turmoil within the royal family (which the Waleses have not released a statement on, though they are believed to be supporting King Charles), the couple broke their social media silence on Saturday, with a personal message regarding the Winter Olympics.
The royal couple showed their public support for Team GB after the exciting news that the men's curling team had qualified for the gold medal match.
© Instagram"Best of luck in the final Bruce, Grant, Hammy and Bobby! We will be cheering you on," the royals commented under a post from the official Team GB Instagram account. The Prince and Princess of Wales signed off their message personally with their first name initials 'W & C' for William and Catherine respectively.
Aside from the BAFTAs, Princess Kate has also been out and about over the weekend, with the mother-of-three watching the Six Nations match between England and Ireland. It's a reassuring sign that they decided to stick to their plan to attend the BAFTAs, too, as it has long been a highlight in the royal calendar.
© Sportsfile via Getty ImagesPrevious BAFTAs ceremony
Prince William and Princess Kate have attended the BAFTAs in London together five times. First in 2017, and most recently (before today) in 2023. They also attended a special BAFTA Brits To Watch event in Los Angeles back in 2011.
© Julian Parker, GettyTheir connection to the ceremony is down to the Prince having been President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010, making the royal couple a regular fixture at the prestigious occasion.
As Judi noted, the couple looked more tense than usual, with previous appearances seeing wide, open smiles from the royals, whereas their 2026 attendance appeared more guarded than usual.
© Chris Jackson, GettyPrincess Kate looked particularly delighted in 2023, smiling from ear-to-ear in a floaty white gown by Alexander McQueen, while in 2018, when pregnant with Prince Louis, she was glowing with happiness.
© Samir Hussein, Getty
