The Prince of Wales appeared in high spirits as he visited the London Screen Academy in Highbury, north London today.
Prince William, 42, who is President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), took to the creative centre to shine a spotlight on the next generation of UK filmmakers and creative professionals.
The LSA, established in 2019 and founded by industry experts, is a free-to-attend sixth form academy aiming to arm students with the necessary skills to thrive in the film industry across production, costume, editing, and animation sectors.
In addition to vocational skills, students also undertake standard qualifications, such as Maths or English A-Level’s, to ensure an integrated education approach.
Upon his arrival, William met senior representatives from the LSA and BAFTA board before chatting with students and observing their costume design work.
The heir to the throne, dressed in a smart navy suit, met Year 13 students taking part in a ‘Collaboration Project’, which blends craft, technical, and production skills to create and short film.
William heard about the shooting process of this year’s film, called ‘Melomania’, and learned about the skills implemented when completing the project.
He looked especially animated when meeting the hair and make-up teams, with the royal looking particularly moved after observing some frightening masks.
The Prince of Wales enjoyed a visit to the London Screen Academy in Highbury, London, today, to meet and shine a spotlight on the next generation of UK filmmakers and creative professionals
The visit comes after the palace revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales will miss the BAFTA awards ceremony this weekend.
Prince William attended the event last year, but it is understood he was not planning on being at the star-studded ceremony on Sunday, in his role as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
The future king took on the formal role in 2010, succeeding the actor and director Richard Attenborough.
The Princess of Wales will also not be at the red-carpet occasion, Kensington Palace confirmed.
Kate has previously joined her husband at the annual ceremony, but didn’t make last year’s after it was announced that she had undergone abdominal surgery. The following month, the royal revealed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.
While William won’t be attending the event this weekend, he will continue to champion rising talent.
William, dressed in a smart navy suit, appeared cheerful as he chatted with student filmmakers and creatives
William observed costume designs during today’s visit, including one particularly terrifying mask
Pictured: The Prince of Wales speaking to students during a visit to the London Screen Academy on Wednesday
In previous years, Kate’s appearances at the BAFTAs have helped to throw a spotlight on British fashion brands.
She first attended the event in 2017. The couple took a break in 2021, just before Prince Philip died, and again in 2022, due to diary constraints, before a triumphant return in 2023 when the ceremony paid tribute to the late Queen.
In 2018, Kate even attended the BAFTAs while heavily pregnant with Prince Louis, who was born two months later.
Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes has beaten box-office juggernauts Gladiator 2 and Wicked to win 12 BAFTA nominations, including best actor and best film for his movie Conclave.
The British actor, 62, won his first and only BAFTA 32 years ago for his hit holocaust film, Schindler’s List, and is tipped to win again for his role in the thriller about finding a new Pope based in the Vatican City.
Back on home soil, Conclave has been nominated for twice as many gongs at the BAFTAs than it was earlier this month at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles.
The hit thriller starring Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini is about a secretive and high-stakes election of a new Pope, where power, ambition, and personal secrets collide among the warring cardinals.
It has beaten the Golden Globes’ big winner, the Spanish drama Emilia Perez, which has come in second in the number of nominations with 11 BAFTA nods after sweeping up 10 gongs in the US award ceremony.
The 42-year-old met Year 13 students and discussed their current short film project called ‘Melomania’
Prince William looked animated as he entered the London Screen Academy in Highbury, London
The father-of-three appeared focused as he observed costume designs at the London-based academy
Gladiator 2 has yet again been snubbed by award judges after it was shunned for Best Film and its leading man, the Irish star Paul Mescal, 28, failed to make the BAFTA longlist for Best Actor.
It comes after Ridley Scott’s epic was snubbed at the Golden Globes in the US earlier this month after it was nominated for just two awards and failed to take any home.
Denzel Washington, 70, who played Macrinus, was long-listed as a supporting actor but has been bumped off the nominations list by BAFTA judges.
British actress, Kate Winslet, 49, has similarly dropped out of the running for a BAFTA for her role as Lee Miller in the war photographer’s biopic after being included in the longlist last month.
