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 yearâs 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.
Addressing the audience, William â who has been president of the British Academy of Film & Television Arts since 2010 â said: âGood evening everyone. As President of BAFTA, Iâm delighted to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Rising Star Award, which is presented in honour of Mary Selway.
âWhat a 20 years and what a line-up of exceptional talent! Since 2006 this award has not only championed the industryâs rising stars but has helped to inspire the next generation of acting talent to pursue their dreams.
âThe five incredibly talented people nominated tonight demonstrate a remarkable range of performances and have each captured the imagination of audiences over the last year.
âJudging 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.
© Dave J HoganâTo announce this yearâs 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, itâs James McAvoy and Letitia Wright. Have a wonderful night.â
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.
© Getty ImagesHe didnât attend the BAFTAs in 2021 as a result of his grandfatherâs sudden passing and was forced to miss out due to âdiary constraintsâ the following year. In 2024, the royal attended solo amidst his wife Kateâs cancer treatment.
The 2025 BAFTAs
Hosted by David Tennant at the Southbank Centreâs Royal Festival Hall, the BAFTAs saw a host of illustrious stars including Demi Moore, Timothee Chalamet and Saorise Ronan gather to celebrate cinemaâs finest offerings from the past year.
Warwick Davis was honoured with this yearâs BAFTA Fellowship, the arts charityâs highest accolade. The Harry Potter star â a talented actor, comedian, presenter and producer â 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 BAFTAâs Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award to recognise their inspiring work.
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This yearâs ceremony also saw a special performance from Take That performing their chart-topping hit âGreatest Dayâ which features in the BAFTA-nominated film Anora.
Controversial Baftas triumphs
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for BAF1998
Shakespeare In Love star Judy Dench won best-supporting actress despite her fleeting screen time and strong competition from stars of Elizabeth, Saving Private Ryan and The Truman Show.
2004
Another contested award was for Bill Nighy who won best supporting actor for his role as washed-up rocker Billy Mack in Love Actually (Christmas film fans may disagree that the awarding was questionable).Â
2005
A mostly forgotten film, My Summer Of Love bombed at the box office but surprisingly took home the Bafta for Best British Film.
2006
Leaving Mr Darcy fans heartbroken, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit triumphed over Joe Wrightâs much acclaimed adaptation of Pride & Prejudice in the Best British Film category.
2014
In the same year Woody Allen was accused of sexual abuse, his film Blue Jasmine was up for three awards: Best Original Script, Cate Blanchett for Best Actress and Sally Hawkins for Best Supporting Actress.
2020
 A troubled year for the awards due to their perceived lack of racial and gender diversity (the directorial nominees were all male) leading to the #BaftasSoWhite trend.
2021
Noel Clarke won the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema category but his triumph was short lived as Bafta suspended both his membership and the award after 20 allegations of sexual harassment were made against him.
2024
There was outcry when Andrew Scott received no nominations for his widely lauded performance in All of Us Strangers yet costars Paul Mescal and Claire Foy did.
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