Prince William Attends BAFTAs Solo, Apologizes For Wife's Absence Amid Surgery Recovery

The Prince of Wales, Prince William, attended the 2024 BAFTAs alone and expressed regret for his wife, Kate Middleton's absence from the prestigious awards ceremony.

William assured fans that she had been eager to attend the event as she "does love the BAFTAs." The Princess of Wales was unable to attend due to her ongoing recovery from abdominal surgery.

William, who has been the president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010, attended the evening alone as his wife Kate recovers from abdominal surgery. He, however, made sure to emphasize that she loved the event, insinuating she would have attended but for her health.

Speaking with the chief executive of the Southbank Centre, Elaine Bedell, William apologized for his wife's absence at this year's awards.

"I'm sorry Catherine's not here. She does love the BAFTAs," he said at the event.

The event, held at the iconic Royal Festival Hall in London, honored outstanding contributions to cinema and television and boasted an array of celebrity attendees, including Dua Lipa.

In an Instagram post shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales's page, William shared behind-the-scenes footage of his appearance on the red carpet. He captioned the post: "What a night! Honored to be in attendance at the U.K.'s biggest celebration of global excellence in film."

At the event, William weighed in on the hit films as he gave his candid remarks about them. While the Duke of Cambridge expressed admiration for "Oppenheimer," he admitted that he had not yet seen "Barbie," but would love to do so, per People.

Ahead of the ceremony, William noted that he'd love the historical drama directed by Christopher Nolan to get some big wins, and had his wish come true as the film won best film and Nolan won best director.

"I'm a big fan of Christopher Nolan, so I'll be pleased if he wins ... I loved Oppenheimer," he said, per The Daily Telegraph.

However, when asked about another nominated film, "Barbie," he admitted that he had yet to watch it.

"I haven't watched Barbie yet," he reportedly admitted, "but I want to."

Rumors suggesting Harry was willing to temporarily return to royal duties following King Charles's cancer diagnosis were rife; however, a source revealed that William would not allow that to happen.

According to The Mirror, the insider noted that William would be the one to take up more duties if needed as he believes Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, "cannot be trusted." It comes after the Duke of Sussex made a quick dash to the U.K. earlier this month to see Charles and spent 30 minutes with his father before returning about 24 hours later.

"Whatever has been discussed between William and the King is private, but it is absolutely and categorically clear that he (William) would not allow Harry to return," the source said.

"He thought it was a bad idea at the time, and he's even more clear now. If anyone is going to take on more duties it will be William and that isn't even on the agenda for now. His main focus is on his father's health, his family, and what is best for the monarchy. There is a zero percent chance Harry is coming back in any capacity," they added.

William has unveiled plans to allocate $4 million towards the construction of homes for the unhoused population on his Cornwall estate, per People. The Duke of Cambridge's initiative aims to address the pressing issue of homelessness by building 24 new homes for people experiencing housing challenges in Cornwall, England.

The announcement comes as part of his long-term commitment to tackling the issue of homelessness via his Homewards project. The plan, which is a collaborative effort with a local Cornish charity, St Petrocs, will see him build homes in in Nansledan, Newquay — in the far southwest of England — at a cost of nearly $4 million.

"As one of his key priorities for the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince William asked us to address the homelessness challenge within Cornwall and other areas where the estate resides," Ben Murphy, estate director at the Duchy of Cornwall, said in a statement.

"The shortage of social rent and private rented properties are widely considered to be the main causes of increasing homelessness across the country, which is why we are proud to launch this project alongside ambitious plans to unlock more affordable and attainable homes across our estate."