The Prince of Wales made a revealing admission on the Bafta red carpet on Sunday. Asked about Hamnet, the film that went on to win outstanding British film and best actress for Jessie Buckley, William said he had not seen it yet. “I need to be in quite a calm state and I’m not at the moment,” he said. “I will save it.”
Given that the film deals with the death of a child, Shakespeare’s young son Hamnet, it is not hard to read between the lines. This was William’s first public appearance since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and whatever composure he projected on the red carpet alongside the Princess of Wales, the cracks were there if you listened closely.
Kate, for her part, had already seen the film. “Very bad idea actually,” she said with a laugh, admitting she “ended up with very puffy eyes.” She described the score as “fantastic” and “raw,” and spoke about its portrayal of “intergenerational grief” with the kind of quiet thoughtfulness that has become her trademark.
Scottish host Alan Cumming provided lighter moments, changing outfits mid show and directing a quip at the prince that drew a laugh from the royal box.
I have no strong feelings about the royal family one way or the other, but there was something disarmingly human about William’s admission. We have all had moments where we know a film will hit too close to the bone. The fact that the heir to the throne feels the same way is, oddly, the most relatable thing he has ever said.