Princess Kate made a dazzling return to the BAFTAs red carpet alongside Prince William, and fashion experts say her carefully curated look sent a powerful message to the world about the future of the Royal Family.
The Princess of Wales appeared at the 79th British Academy Film Awards at Royal Festival Hall in London, marking her first red carpet appearance at the ceremony in three years. Kate wore a blush pink floor-length Gucci gown she previously wore to a 100 Women in Finance gala dinner at the V&A Museum in February 2019, accessorizing with a burgundy velvet clutch and sparkling silver heels.
But the real statement came from the jewelry. Kate adorned herself with the Greville Chandelier Earrings, a spectacular pair designed by Cartier between 1918 and 1929. The earrings originally belonged to Dame Margaret Greville, who bequeathed them to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother upon her death in 1942. They later became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, who wore them throughout her reign.
On her wrist, Kate wore Queen Mary’s Diamond Bar Choker Bracelet, a striking Art Deco piece from the 1920s. Originally designed for Mary of Teck, wife of King George V, the bracelet features a geometric arrangement of diamonds that embodies Jazz Age elegance. Kate first borrowed the piece in 2015 for a state banquet honoring President Xi of China.
Fashion expert Lisa Talbot told the Daily Mail that Kate’s appearance was anything but coincidental amid the recent turmoil surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest dominated headlines in the days before the ceremony. Andrew was taken into custody at Wood Farm, his residence on the King’s private Sandringham estate, on his 66th birthday. He was released after approximately 11 hours of questioning and remains under investigation.
Prince William complemented his wife in a dark red velvet jacket that matched Kate’s velvet belt and clutch bag. The coordinated appearance came as the couple made their first joint outing since the arrest.
Kate last attended the BAFTAs with William in 2023. She missed the 2024 ceremony while undergoing cancer treatment, leaving William to walk the red carpet alone in his role as President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The couple skipped the 2025 BAFTAs entirely.
Inside the event, Kate spoke candidly with Emily Stillman, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, about her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis—and their growing interest in films. Stillman reminisced about their 2013 visit to Warner Brothers studios in Hertfordshire, telling Kate, “Last time I saw you, you were pregnant with George and you were doing your Harry Potter spells.”
Kate shared that her children would love to explore the studios. “They love the idea of going behind the scenes and finding out how it all happens,” she said. “The children are starting to get interested in films and it’s a really great way to have some of the hard conversations with them.”
Prince William made a candid revelation about Kate’s emotional response to “Hamnet,” which was nominated in the Best Film category. He told attendees the movie left Kate in “floods of tears.”
Kate admitted watching it the night before the ceremony may have been a mistake. “I thought it was a bad idea, actually. Ended up with very puffy eyes,” she said, calling the film “really very very powerful” and praising its “fantastic” and “raw” music score.
When asked if he had seen “Hamnet,” William explained why he was holding off. “I need to be in quite a calm state and I am not at the moment. I will save it,” he said—a telling acknowledgment of the challenging period for the Royal Family.
The prince and princess walked the red carpet where Sir Kenneth Olisa, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, welcomed them. They joined stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and Ethan Hawke. Scottish actor Alan Cumming hosted the black-tie ceremony.
The couple’s appearance provided a moment of glamour and normalcy for the Royal Family during a turbulent time. Kate’s choice to wear heirloom jewelry from the late Queen Elizabeth II, combined with her recycled Gucci gown, struck a balance between honoring tradition and demonstrating modern sustainability values—a trademark of her public persona as the future Queen.