The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, commonly known as BAFTA, has announced that Prince William will not appear during the two planned telecasts of the BAFTA Awards this weekend as originally intended. The announcement came a day after the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip.
“In light of The Duke of Edinburgh’s passing, The Duke of Cambridge will no longer be part of BAFTA programming this weekend,” the organization said in a statement, as reported in The Hollywood Reporter. “Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy at this time.”
Prince William is the president of BAFTA, having taken over the position from Sir Richard Attenborough in 2010. The president at the group’s foundation in 1959 when the British Film Academy merged with the Society of Film and Television Arts was, indeed, Prince Philip.
For the 2021 ceremony, William was to have held a virtual conversation with costume designer Jenny Beavan and hair and makeup designer Sharon Martin. On Sunday, he was scheduled to give a speech highlighting the resilience of the British film and television industries in the face of overwhelming obstacles created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Spreading the ceremony across two nights is an effort to give craft awards their proper spotlight. Nominees will appear virtually, but presenters will appear at an empty Royal Albert Hall. There will be a two-and-a-half hour time lag before the broadcast to allow post-production tinkering to smooth out any Zoom malfunctions.
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