Prince William makes sad confession at BAFTAs just days after uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s unprecedented arrest

The Prince of Wales admitted he isn’t feeling “calm” at the moment

rince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales, attended the star-studded BAFTAs on Sunday night.

It comes at a turbulent time for the royal family as William’s uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on February 19. Andrew was arrested in Sandringham on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The specific details of the allegations of misconduct being investigated are unknown.

Hours after his arrest, police released Andrew, 66, under investigation.

In their first joint public appearance since then, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the BAFTAs in London and William made a rather sad confession.
Princess Catherine and Prince William attended the BAFTAs on Sunday evening (Credit: Cover Images)

Prince William ‘not in a calm state’ at BAFTAs

The Prince of Wales, President of BAFTA, walked down the red carpet with Princess Catherine at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Before the ceremony, William, 43, and Catherine, 44, spoke with representatives from BAFTA and the Southbank Centre.

According to reports, Prince William revealed that hadn’t yet watched the 2025 movie Hamnet.

Hamnet dramatises the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway, as they deal with the death of their young son, Hamnet.

Prince William said of the film: “I need to be in quite a calm state and I’m not at the moment. I will save it.”

Hamnet won a BAFTA for outstanding British film. Meanwhile, its star Jessie Buckley won best actress for her performance as Agnes.
Janet Street-Porter seemed to disapprove of William’s confession (Credit: ITV)

William faces backlash over ‘calm state’ comments

Prince William’s comments have been discussed throughout the news today, including on TV shows.

On Monday’s edition of talk show Loose Women, panellist Janet Street-Porter took issue with the prince’s words.

Discussing William’s admission, Janet said: “Well, I thought it was a bit wet. Did we need to know? He’s at a very important industry event and he’s too upset to go and see a film.

“I’m sure it’s not very fun to have your uncle dragged through the headlines all the time but I don’t think we needed to know full stop.”
The Prince of Wales gave a speech at Sunday’s BAFTAs (Credit: BBC)

Prince William gives speech at BAFTAs

Elsewhere, at the ceremony, Prince William gave a speech as he presented Dame Donna Langley with the BAFTA Fellowship. The award is the organisation’s highest honour.

In the speech, he praised Dame Donna, Chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, for her “exceptional contribution to film”.

He also described her as “a tireless advocate for British talent abroad, ensuring our storytellers, performers and creators are seen, supported and celebrated on the world stage”.

William added: “She has championed films that have shaped culture, and is responsible for some of our most beloved franchises.

“And in amongst all of this, Dame Donna Langley has maintained a strong commitment to inclusion and mentorship, founding initiatives to widen access to careers in the screen arts and supporting women in leadership. This work is crucial.”

He then introduced her to the stage.
Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor last week (Credit: Cover Images)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrest

On February 19, police arrested the late Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, Andrew, in Sandringham on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The specific details of the allegations of misconduct remain unknown.

However, scrutiny has been mounting over Andrew’s association with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the US Department of Justice’s release of millions of files relating to the disgraced financier last month.

Following the release of files, Andrew faced allegations that he shared sensitive and confidential documents with Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy.

He served as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. In 2010, according to the files, Andrew allegedly forwarded official reports from trade visits to Epstein.

Under official guidance, trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial, or political information.

On Thursday evening, police released Andrew under investigation. This means that they can call the former prince back any time for questioning.

Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. This arrest should not be seen as any indication of guilt and there are no charges yet.

King Charles speaks out

Shortly after news of Andrew’s arrest broke, King Charles issued a personal statement.

He said he had learned of the allegations against his brother with the “deepest concern”.

Meanwhile, he also gave his very clear stance on the matter. He said, referring to the police: “In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”