The Prince and Princess of Wales returned to the BAFTAs for the first time since 2023, stepping onto the red carpet at London’s Royal Festival Hall amid the ongoing fallout from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
As president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010, Prince William’s presence was expected. What wasn’t expected was a shout from the crowd: “Your Royal Highnesses, is the monarchy in peril?” The couple did not respond and continued inside, coordinated in burgundy tones — a deliberate image strategy, according to fashion designer Juan Avellaneda, who said such appearances are carefully crafted to project unity and stability.
But beneath the composure, tension may have been visible. William admitted he hadn’t watched
Hamnet because he was “not in a calm state.” Jennie Bond in the iPaper described the remark as anything but accidental, writing that the heir “is seething with anger — and he wants you to know it.” Body language expert Judi James suggested subtle signs of strain, pointing to a lack of touch and what she described as William’s self-soothing gestures on the carpet.
Behind the scenes, sources told the Daily Mail that William is frustrated the scandal could linger into his own reign, calling it “a mess left by Andrew and the late Queen.” Catherine, by contrast, has remained publicly silent. The couple are said to be deeply concerned about the toll on King Charles, who is reportedly exhausted.
William did, however, strike a solemn note elsewhere — paying tribute to Corporal Lucy Wilde, the 25-year-old army medic found dead in her barracks earlier this month, calling her warmth and compassion “unmistakable.”
For now, the Waleses appear determined to carry on. But as one commentator noted, business-as-usual is increasingly difficult when every word is filtered through the prism of the Andrew crisis.
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Royal Books:
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story
The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana