Prince William Cries During Helen Mirren's Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at BAFTAs

By Daniel S. Levine

Prince William was moved to tears during the 76th British Academy Film Awards on Sunday when Helen Mirren delivered a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. It was the first BAFTAs ceremony since Queen Elizabeth's death on Sept. 8, 2022. Kate Middleton joined the Prince of Wales at the ceremony, and they walked the red carpet together.

"Cinema at its best does what Her Majesty did effortlessly – bring us together and unite us through a story. Your Majesty, you were our nation's leading star," Mirren began her speech. "BAFTA's relationship with Her Majesty was longstanding and BAFTA would not be what it is today without her loyal support." Mirren went on to note that Queen Elizabeth's 1953 coronation ceremony made it clear she was the U.K.'s "leading lady," but she was still "mysterious as a silent film star."

Mirren noted that the Queen's reign coincided with Hollywood's golden age to today's blockbuster era. "Her Majesty was front row for it all," Mirren said. Mirren was the perfect star to narrate the tribute, having won Best Actress for playing Queen Elizabeth in The Queen (2006) before she won the Oscar. The Queen also made a Dame in 2003 and met the Queen in 2011.

William and Kate attended the BAFTAs for the first time in two years. In 2021, they skipped the ceremony due to Prince Philip's death in April of that year. Last year, they could not make it due to scheduling conflicts. William has been the president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010. Prince Philip and William's aunt, Princess Anne, previously served as BAFTAs presidents.

"The Queen occupies a unique place in BAFTA's history, a close association that spanned 50 years. Through her various patronages, The Queen was renowned for her support of the UK's creative industries," the British Academy said when Mirren's tribute was announced. Queen Elizabeth reigned for a record-breaking 70 years and was succeeded by her son and William's father, King Charles III.

This year's BAFTAs ceremony saw Netflix's All Quiet on the Western Front dominate with seven wins. The anti-war epic won Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Not in the English Language, Best Cinematographer, Best Original Score, and Best Sound. The Banshees of Inisherin won Outstanding British Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Barry Keoghan), and Best Supporting Actress (Kerry Condon). Austin Butler won Best Actor for Elvis and Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for Tar. 

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