William admits he's 'not in calm state' during BAFTAs appearance with Kate after Andrew arrest
The Waleses are regular fixtures on the Bafta red carpet because William is president of the British Academy.
The Prince of Wales has admitted he is not in a “calm state” at the moment while attending the BAFTA awards alongside his wife Kate.
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William and Kate were seen on the red carpet at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) on Sunday just days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The event at the Royal Festival Hall by the South Bank in London marked William's first public appearance since Andrew's arrest.
Speaking to representatives from Bafta and the Southbank Centre before taking his seat in the star-studded auditorium, William told Elaine Bedell, chief executive of the Southbank Centre, and Allison Kirkby, chief executive of BT Group, that he had yet to see Hamnet.
“I need to be in quite a calm state and I’m not at the moment,” he said.
“I will save it.”
The big-screen adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel is about the family life of William Shakespeare and the death of his young son.
Read more: Hamnet makes Bafta history as One Battle After Another scoops most nominations
Read more: William and Kate must rebuild royal family’s integrity, says PR expert
The Princess of Wales opted for a regal Gucci gown on the red carpet and completed the look with her hair loose, a side parting and relaxed curls.
She opted against a necklace, instead wearing an elegant diamond bracelet.
The Princess of Wales is no stranger to rewearing items from her closet, and she pulled out one of her most ethereal gowns for this year’s Baftas.
The princess last wore this outfit in February 2019, to the 100 Women in Finance Gala Dinner.
She styled the look differently then, wearing it with a voluminous half updo, showing off more of the gown’s neckline.
Meanwhile, William donned a plum tuxedo and was pictured smiling alongside his wife as he joined stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Gillian Anderson and Kate Hudson at the 79th British Academy Film Awards.
The Waleses are regular fixtures on the Bafta red carpet because William is president of the British Academy.
This year's appearence comes after details released by the Department of Justice laid bare new revelations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
A PR guru said today the Prince and Princess of Wales will be tasked with rebuilding the “integrity of the royal family”.
Public relations and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski spoke on the impact of the ongoing Epstein after Andrew’s arrest on Thursday 19 February, saying that as the future of the monarchy, the couple will need to set out their vision for the institution.
“Really, what do William and Kate do? What do their generation do with the crown, with all its soft power, its affairs of state, it’s beginning to feel a little bit like a European monarchy.“
He said the couple faced the question of “how do they establish the integrity of the royal family?", as Andrew is investigated on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Andrew was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, spending 11 hours in custody on his 66th birthday, after allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
Kate made her first public appearance since the arrest on Saturday as she donned an England rugby scarf to watch the team lose to Ireland 42-21 in the Six Nations at Twickenham.