Prince William issues surprise message amid BAFTAs no-show
The Prince of Wales delivered a special message during the 2025 EE BAFTAs on Sunday night despite not attending the ceremony with his wife Princess Kate.
William, 42, appeared in a pre-recorded segment during the ceremony, filmed during his visit to the London Screen Academy earlier this week. The royal introduced two past winners of the EE Rising Star Award to the stage, James McAvoy and Letitia Wright, who in turn bestowed the award upon this year's honorees.
This marks the twentieth anniversary of the Rising Star Award, voted for by the British public, which focuses on honouring young acting stars who have demonstrated exceptional talent and ambition.
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Addressing the audience, William – who has been president of the British Academy of Film & Television Arts since 2010 – said: "Good evening everyone. As President of BAFTA, I’m delighted to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Rising Star Award, which is presented in honour of Mary Selway.
"What a 20 years and what a line-up of exceptional talent! Since 2006 this award has not only championed the industry’s rising stars but has helped to inspire the next generation of acting talent to pursue their dreams.
"The five incredibly talented people nominated tonight demonstrate a remarkable range of performances and have each captured the imagination of audiences over the last year.
"Judging by the international success of the previous nominees and winners of this award, I am certain we will be seeing much more of their work over the next twenty years and beyond.
"To announce this year’s nominees please welcome to the stage two previous winners of the EE Rising Star Award, both of whom are soon to make their directorial debuts, it's James McAvoy and Letitia Wright. Have a wonderful night."
William and Kate skipped the BAFTAs
Royal fans were sorely disappointed when it was confirmed that Prince William would be missing out on the ceremony, meaning Princess Kate would also likely be a no-show.
Although he is a regular fixture on the guest list, the Prince of Wales has skipped the ceremony in the past.
He didn't attend the BAFTAs in 2021 as a result of his grandfather's sudden passing and was forced to miss out due to "diary constraints" the following year. In 2024, the royal attended solo amidst his wife Kate's cancer treatment.
The 2025 BAFTAs
Hosted by David Tennant at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, the BAFTAs saw a host of illustrious stars including Demi Moore, Timothee Chalamet and Saorise Ronan gather to celebrate cinema's finest offerings from the past year.
Warwick Davis was honoured with this year's BAFTA Fellowship, the arts charity's highest accolade. The Harry Potter star – a talented actor, comedian, presenter and producer – was celebrated for his prolific career and as an exceptional advocate for creating a more inclusive screen industry.
MediCinema, the British charity dedicated to improving the well-being of patients in hospitals through the magic of film, was presented with BAFTA’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award to recognise their inspiring work.
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This year's ceremony also saw a special performance from Take That performing their chart-topping hit 'Greatest Day' which features in the BAFTA-nominated film Anora.
