BAFTAs 2022: Prince William And Kate Middleton Pull Out Of Event Second Year In A Row

Prince William and Kate Middleton didn't walk the red carpet on Sunday night to attend 2022 BAFTA awards ceremony.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's decision to not attend the BAFTAs for the second year in a row, left organizers "very disappointed," reported Mirror. They are understood to have turned down an invite to the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, over "diary constraints."

A source said that William is always "a huge draw, not least as it's the first year back in person after the pandemic." The source added that BAFTA were told that "diary constraints precluded him from attending in person this year." The source called it "such a shame," and said that everyone is "very disappointed."

William has been the president of the BAFTAs since 2010, and the ceremony is typically one of William and Kate's most glamorous annual events, according to Town & Country.

In 2021, William was set to deliver a video speech at the virtual ceremony, but he was forced to pull out following the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip. The source said that was "totally understandable, but everyone expected him to attend this year and the fact he is not, is most unfortunate."

A BAFTA spokesman said that William would be participating in the show via a "pre-recorded video message." During a surprise virtual appearance at the 2022 BAFTA awards ceremony, William said that as President of BAFTA, he is "extremely proud to see the work that BAFTA undertakes year-round to provide opportunities and support for talented people to develop successful careers in film, games and television."

In the speech, he said that one of these programs is "Breakthrough," which is a "year-long mentoring and guidance initiative which helps people achieve their true potential." He found it wonderful that there "are more than thirthy participants from Breakthrough UK in the audience this evening."

According to him, BAFTA "hopes to inspire and support future generations from all walks of life to become the filmmakers of the future." William concluded by congratulating all the nominees and winners, reported Hello! magazine.

There has been tension between the Buckingham Palace and the BBC, over recent coverage of the Royal Family. Apart from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace condemned journalist Amol Rajan’s "The Princes and the Press" series. The condemnation was over claims that courtiers leaked negative stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But sources close to William played down the decision not to attend BAFTAs, which was broadcast on BBC1, as being connected to the row.