Princess KateandPrince Williamshowed subtle signs of tension and stress, days after the arrest of Prince William's uncleAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
It was business as usual when the royal couple arrived on the2026 BAFTAs red carpeton Sunday, February 22, at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Fans were surprised to see them in the spotlight amid what is seen as a turbulent time for the British royal family, with one commenting: "Kate is trying too hard to look unbothered."
Princess Kate and Prince William showed subtle signs of stress at the 2026 BAFTAs, a body language expert claimed
Image credits:Neil Mockford/Getty Images
The royal show had to go on, even though it came just days after a senior member of theBritish royal familywas arrested for the first time in nearly 400 years.
Princess Kate and Prince William walked the 2026 BAFTAs red carpet together, right on the heels ofAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrestin Sandringham on his 66th birthday.
Image credits:Royal Family Channel
Thered carpet was shut downto welcome the royal pair, who attended the annual awards show together for the first time since 2023.
The couple didn't make an appearance last year, and the year before that, Prince William attended the annual awards show alone.
Princess Kate was dressed in a Gucci gown while her husband wore a Giorgio Armani burgundy velvet jacket
The couple looked sharp on the red carpet at this year's BAFTAs, with Princess Kate dressed in a blush-colored Gucci gown and her husband wearing a Giorgio Armani burgundy velvet jacket, paired with black pants.
"William and Kate delivered their usual, impeccable red carpet A-list glamour here," body language expert Judi James toldHELLO!, "but there are a handful of tells that might reflect the undeniable tensions of the past week."
Image credits:Scott Garfitt/BAFTA/Getty Images
The body language expertbroke down the couple's subtle physical cuesduring the glitzy event.
"[The royals] walk side by side with their arms hanging loose at their sides, with a closeness of the dangling inner hands suggesting a desire to clasp hands here or perhaps to perform the kind of signature truncated touches, pats and strokes they often give each other to support each other at events like this," she said.
While their hands might not have met much on the 2026 BAFTAs red carpet, Judi believed Prince William had his own "ritual" to soothe himself.
The expert believed Prince William had his own "ritual" to soothe himself
Image credits:Samir Hussein/WireImage
"Instead of touching, though, we can see the fingers of William's right hand slightly curled so that his index finger touches his thumb, hinting at a self-soothe ritual," she told the outlet.
Judi noted other moments of apparent tension in Prince William's demeanor, such as instances where his lips were "pulled inward," or his brows were "pulled into a small frown, suggesting some anxiety."
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On the other hand,Princess Kate managed tokeep "impeccable" smiles on her face "as usual" but had a "very slightly edge-to-edge placing of the teeth, which again could signal inner tension," the body language expert told the outlet.
Prince William made a rare confession about the headspace he was in
Image credits:Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty Images
While interacting with people on the red carpet, Prince William reportedly made a statement that also alluded to his current mental state.
The couple was asked whether they had seen the movieHamnet, which ultimately won the BAFTA for Best British Film during Sunday's award show.
The movie tells the tragic story of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway, coping with the loss of their 11-year-old son.
Image credits:MEGA/Getty Images
The heir to the British throne admitted he hadn't watched the film because of the headspace he was in.
"I need to be in quite a calm state and I am not at the moment. I will save it," he said.
His wife, on the other hand, said she watched the movie and admitted she cried "floods of tears."
"I thought it was a bad idea, actually," she joked about watching the film ahead of the awards ceremony. "Ended up with very puffy eyes."
"It was so beautifully shot. The music as well. The score is fantastic," she added.
"They should all be hiding in shame," one netizen commented online
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Netizens had plenty to say about the Prince and Princess of Wales showing up to the BAFTA Film Awards.
"Just shut the whole charade down," one said, while another wrote, "Abolish the monarchy."
"They need to look professional. They have nothing else going on," said another.
Princess Kate and Prince William's red carpet appearance came days after Andrew was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office in light of theJeffrey Epstein scandal.
He was kept in custody for about 11 hours and then released.
A spokesperson shared a statement on behalf of the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying: "I can confirm the prince and princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims."
"I guess he feels his turn of being king is in jeopardy," one netizen commented online
