The Prince and Princess of Wales received a warm welcome as they arrived at the 2023 BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday night. During their appearance on the red carpet, the royal couple were seen sharing a cheeky moment – a surprise to royal watchers!
Princess Kate appeared to tap Prince William’s bottom when they made their swift arrival. The moment quickly went viral on Twitter after being caught by an onlooker close to the red carpet.
The royals walked the Bafta red carpet for the first time in three years. The Princess continued to show her commitment to environmentally friendly fashion by re-wearing a dress. She wore a Grecian-style gown by Alexander McQueen, which she first wore to the Baftas in 2019.
For his outfit, William kept things classic and simple in a double-breasted black velvet tuxedo jacket.
William has been the president of Bafta since 2010 and Kate first attended the event with her husband in 2017. She started a tradition of wearing British designers on the Bafta red carpet, choosing a black McQueen gown.
Ahead of the ceremony, the couple met Bafta chairman Krishnendu Majumdar, chief executive Jane Millichip and chairwoman of the Bafta film committee Anna Higgs ahead of the ceremony.
They were told how the Queen had been a “supporter” of the arts, and a feature praising the late monarch’s patronage of the industry was shown to guests during the show.
Prince William told the leaders they were doing a “great job” and nodded as Ms Higgs spoke of how important it was to pursue “diversity” in the industry.
During the awards show, a video was presented by Dame Helen Mirren, who played the Queen in the 2006 biopic, showing footage of the late monarch supporting the academy.
Dame Helen said: “Cinema at its best does what Her Majesty did effortlessly – bring us together and unite us through a story. Your Majesty, you were our nation’s leading star.”
Upon seeing the moving tribute, Prince William looked visibly emotional.
