Prince William Attends The 2024 BAFTA Awards Without Princess Kate

Prince William arrived at the 2024 BAFTA awards on Sunday without his wife Kate Middleton. The Prince of Wales, 41, walked the red carpet solo at the 77th EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London as the Princess of Wales continues her recovery from last month’s abdominal surgery.

Prince William, who has been president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010, wore a navy velvet tuxedo jacket with black lapels, paired with black trousers, a bow-tie and a crisp white shirt.

On Friday, Kensington Palace confirmed Prince William’s attendance at the event.

“The Prince, President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will watch the Awards ceremony before meeting category winners and EE Rising Star Award nominees,” the statement said.

The annual awards ceremony is regularly attended by both William and Kate, 42, with the pair making their debut at last year’s ceremony as the Prince and Princess of Wales. At the time, Princess Kate walked the red carpet in a white one-shoulder Alexander McQueen dress, which she accessorized with dramatic black gloves and statement earrings. The pair even had a moment that went viral, as cameras captured Princess Kate giving her husband a playful pat on the butt.

This year’s ceremony is being hosted by Doctor Who star David Tennant, while those presenting the awards include Keegan-Michael-Key, Gillian Anderson, Lily Collins, Emma Corrin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Andrew Scott. 

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham will also deliver a live music performance, while Sophie Ellis-Bextor will perform her iconic hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” from nominee Saltburn, which is up for five awards in total.

Actor, writer and director Samantha Morton will also be honored with the BAFTA Fellowship. “It is the arts charity’s highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television,” a press release from BAFTA on Tuesday read. 

Prince William’s appearance at the ceremony comes after he took a week off from royal duties to look after Princess Kate and their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — during the kids’ half-term vacation from school.

PEOPLE reported last week that Kate had left Windsor Castle for the first time since her “planned” surgery on Jan. 16 to join William and their children at their country home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, which is about 140 miles from Windsor.

Prince William’s week off followed a brief return to public duties that had been postponed due to his wife’s surgery on Feb. 7. The engagements were also the first appearances William had made since his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis was revealed two days prior.

READ: What if King Charles Steps Down As Monarch? Here’s What Could Happen Next.

A friend recently told PEOPLE of William, “He is coping remarkably well considering his wife had surgery and he only found out his father’s news recently.”

Kensington Palace revealed the news of Princess Kate’s surgery in a statement shared on Jan. 17. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the statement read. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

Prince William and Princess Kate’s appearance at last year’s BAFTAs was the first time the couple had attended the ceremony in two years. In 2021, William pulled out of an appearance at the BAFTAs following his grandfather Prince Philip’s death at the age of 99 on Apr. 9, while in 2022, it was announced that both William and Kate wouldn’t attend the awards ceremony due to diary constraints.

Prince Philip was the first president of the academy.

Ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, BAFTA Executive Director of Awards & Content Emma Baehr said in a release, “It is a privilege to welcome so many nominees to the EE BAFTA Film Awards this Sunday, representing some of the best on-screen and behind-the-screen creative talent working in film today who have provided audiences worldwide with an incredible year of film. It is a joy to bring these 38 remarkable films and the teams that made them to public attention. 

Baehr continued, “With host David Tennant bringing his charm and charisma to the ceremony, and performances from Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Hannah Waddingham, it promises to be an entertaining show for all our nominees and guests at the Royal Festival Hall and the millions of people watching at home around the world.”

The 2024 BAFTA Awards are being held at the Royal Festival Hall in London and streaming on BritBox in the U.S.

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