The Prince of Wales is set to attend the EE BAFTA Film Awards this Sunday, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
William, who is President of BAFTA, will walk the red carpet at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London, without his wife Princess Kate, who will remain at home as she continues her recovery post-abdominal surgery.
In recent years, the royal couple have usually attended together, but in January, Kensington Palace announced that the Princess would be out of action until at least Easter.
© GettyThey missed the event in 2022 due to "diary constraints" and also pulled out last minute in 2021 due to the sudden passing of William's grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.
William has been President of BAFTA since 2010, a role he succeeded from Lord Attenborough – the only non-royal president of BAFTA to date. Before that, Princess Anne held the role from 1972 to 2000, while Prince Philip was the first President of BAFTA from 1959 to 1965.
All eyes were on William and Kate last year as they made quite the entrance at the 2023 BAFTAs. The Princess looked stunning in a reworked Alexander McQueen one-shoulder gown and statement black opera gloves, while William was smart in a black velvet tuxedo from Tom Ford.
The Princess first wore the Grecian-style gown for the 2019 BAFTAs, with floral detailing on the shoulder.
Kate, 42, has not been seen in public since Christmas. The Wales family have been spending the children's half-term break at their country home, Sandringham.
Kate had planned abdominal surgery in early January, which came as a shock to royal watchers around the world. She spent almost two weeks in hospital before returning home to Adelaide Cottage to continue her lengthy recovery.
William has been helping to care for his wife as well as their three children Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five. He temporarily took a step back from official duties to focus on his family but returned to the royal circuit last week by attending a charity gala for London's Air Ambulance Charity with famous faces including Tom Cruise.
He is also expected to step in for his father King Charles, as the monarch, 75, balances his work with his cancer treatment. Doctors found a form of cancer while treating Charles for an enlarged prostrate last month.
Nine months after William swore to be his father's liege man of life and limb, his solemn coronation promise has never been more important.
"I think William has certainly realised this and the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He's going to be the King at some stage," royal author Robert Jobson told HELLO! in this week's issue.
"The expectation is on William's shoulders and he must be feeling rather like Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth when she was 25, suddenly being catapulted into this job which becomes all consuming."
