By Alexander Stone
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday, February 18, 2024, was missing one of its most prominent guests: Prince William, the president of the organization.
The Duke of Cambridge, who has been the president of BAFTA since 2010, was expected to attend the event and deliver a speech on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the film industry. However, he decided to skip the awards show due to the ongoing family crisis that has rocked the royal family in recent weeks.
The crisis began when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announced their intention to step back from their senior roles in the royal family and pursue a more independent life in North America. The announcement, which was made without the consent or knowledge of the Queen, sparked a wave of controversy and criticism, both from the public and the media.
The royal family held a summit at Sandringham, the Queen’s country estate, to discuss the future arrangements for Harry and Meghan. The Queen issued a statement after the meeting, expressing her support for the couple’s decision, but also her regret and sadness. She also said that there would be a period of transition, during which Harry and Meghan would split their time between the UK and Canada, and that the details of their new roles and responsibilities would be finalized in the coming days.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Harry and Meghan gave a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey, which aired on February 11, 2023. In the interview, the couple revealed shocking details about their struggles within the royal family, such as the lack of support, the isolation, the racism, and the mental health issues they faced. They also accused an unnamed member of the royal family of expressing concerns about the skin color of their son, Archie, before he was born.
The interview caused a huge backlash and a public relations nightmare for the royal family, who were accused of being cold, insensitive, and out of touch. The Queen issued another statement, saying that the allegations were taken very seriously and that the family would address them privately. She also said that Harry, Meghan, and Archie would always be much loved members of the family.
Prince William, who is second in line to the throne, was the first royal to publicly respond to the interview, when he was asked by a reporter during a visit to a school in London. He said that he had not spoken to his brother yet, but that he would do so soon. He also denied that the royal family was racist, saying: “We’re very much not a racist family.”
Since then, Prince William has been trying to mend the rift with his brother, as well as to restore the reputation and the unity of the royal family. He has also been focusing on his duties as the future king, and on supporting his wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
According to a source close to the palace, Prince William decided to skip the BAFTA awards ceremony because he felt that it was not appropriate to attend a glamorous event while his family was going through such a difficult time. He also wanted to avoid any potential awkwardness or questions from the media or the celebrities. He sent a message to the BAFTA organizers, apologizing for his absence and wishing them a successful night.
The BAFTA awards ceremony, which was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, was hosted by Graham Norton, a popular comedian and TV presenter. The event celebrated the best of British and international film, and featured a diverse and inclusive list of nominees and winners. Some of the highlights of the night were:
- The Irishman, a crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese, won the best film award, beating out other contenders such as Joker, Parasite, 1917, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
- Renee Zellweger, who played Judy Garland in the biopic Judy, won the best actress award, while Joaquin Phoenix, who played the Joker in the comic book adaptation Joker, won the best actor award.
- Bong Joon-ho, the director of Parasite, a dark comedy thriller from South Korea, won the best director award, as well as the best original screenplay award, along with his co-writer Han Jin-won. Parasite also won the best film not in the English language award, making history as the first foreign-language film to win four BAFTAs in one night.
- Taika Waititi, the director of Jojo Rabbit, a satirical comedy about a young boy who has Adolf Hitler as his imaginary friend, won the best adapted screenplay award, and dedicated it to his mother, who inspired him to write the film.
- Brad Pitt, who won the best supporting actor award for his role as a stuntman in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, made a joke about Brexit and Prince Harry in his acceptance speech, which was read by his co-star Margot Robbie, as he could not attend the ceremony due to a family obligation.
- Laura Dern, who won the best supporting actress award for her role as a divorce lawyer in Marriage Story, thanked her parents, who are both actors, for inspiring her to pursue her career.
- Rebel Wilson, who presented the best director award, made a hilarious speech that poked fun at the lack of female nominees in the category, as well as at her own film Cats, which was widely panned by critics and audiences.
- Prince William, despite his absence, still made an appearance in a pre-recorded video, in which he praised the work of BAFTA and its initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in the film industry. He also announced the winner of the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honor of the organization, which was awarded to Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm and the producer of the Star Wars franchise.
The BAFTA awards ceremony was a night of celebration, recognition, and entertainment, but also a night of reflection, awareness, and solidarity. The film industry, like the royal family, is facing its own challenges and changes, and both are trying to adapt and evolve with the times. Perhaps, in the future, Prince William will be able to attend the event again, and enjoy the magic of the movies with his family and his friends.