Prince William delivered a virtual speech at Sunday’s BAFTAs.
William, who is president of BAFTA, didn’t attend the star-studded ceremony in person. He and Kate Middleton declined the invite due to “diary constraints,” Hello! reported.
Instead, he made an appearance via video call.
The Duke of Cambridge shared, “Good evening, everyone. As president of BAFTA, I am 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.
“One of these programs is Breakthrough, a year-long mentoring and guidance initiative, which helps people achieve their true potential.”
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“It’s wonderful that there are more than 30 participants from Breakthrough U.K. in the audience this evening. Two of them, Aleem Khan and Jessie Buckley, are nominated for awards tonight.
“They join an impressive list of young talent, including Bukky Bakray and Florence Pugh, as well as Paapa Essiedu and Ray Panthaki who are closely involved with BAFTA-nominated films.
“BAFTA hopes to inspire and support future generations from all walks of life to become the filmmakers of the future. And I hope that for some of those watching these awards, that journey starts today.”
William’s speech concluded: “Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. I wish you all a wonderful evening.”
The royal didn’t attend last year’s mainly virtual event either following the death of his grandfather Prince Philip on April 9.
