The real reason why William and Kate didn't attend the BAFTAs this year

Awards season is in full swing, and this weekend saw the A-listers flock to London for the BAFTAs. The red carpet was awash with famous faces, from Lady Gaga in a stunning Ralph Lauren gown to Daisy Ridley in Vivienne Westwood.

In 2021, the awards organisers introduced a sustainable dress code and this year many guests opted for a more sombre dress code to show support for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with some celebrities wearing ribbons in the colours of the country's flag.

The ceremony was hosted by Rebel Wilson, whose comments about her recent weight loss have since gone viral, and attendees included everyone from Millie Bobby Brown to Shirley Bassey.

However, many royal fans were surprised to find out that Prince William and Kate Middleton would not be making their way to the Royal Albert Hall for the show.

Although there have been several reports about why the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were unable to attend, it appears that the real reason is due to conflicting schedules.

A source told the Mirror: 'Prince William is always a huge draw, not least as it's the first year back in person after the pandemic.

'But BAFTA were told that diary constraints precluded him from attending in person this year. It's such a shame and everyone is very disappointed.'

Prince William has been president of the BAFTAs since 2010, and while he couldn't make it in person this year he made an appearance via a pre-recorded video instead.

He spoke about how proud he was to be a part of their mentoring programme and congratulated all the winners.

Hopefully royal fans will see the royal couple on the BAFTA red carpet in 2023 instead!