Princess Kate Shared Why She Almost Ended Up With "Very Puffy Eyes" During Emotional Pre-BAFTAs Evening That Was a "Bad Idea"

Looking at Princess Kate on the 2026 BAFTAs red carpet, you'd never know she was "in floods of tears" the night before. The Princess of Wales looked fresh and glowing in a pink Gucci gown, historic royal jewels and perfect, beachy curls. But in a conversation with Emily Stillman, Chair of BAFTA's film committee, Kate admitted that her pre-awards show movie choice was "a very bad idea."

The Prince of Wales serves as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and he walked the red carpet with Kate for the first time since 2023 on Sunday, February 22. The couple chatted with those involved in the organization on the red carpet, and Prince William revealed that Hamnet—about the death of William Shakespeare's 11-year-old son—made his wife especially emotional.

"She watched Hamnet last night and was in floods of tears," the Prince of Wales said, pointing to Kate in an Instagram Reel shared by Cameron Walker of GB News. "I can't watch it!" he admitted.

He later added, "I need to be in quite a calm state [to watch it] and I’m not at the moment," which could allude to the ongoing family crisis involving his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his arrest last week.

While speaking to Stillman, Kate admitted that watching the sad film the night before a red carpet event "was a very bad idea actually…I thought I was going to end up with very puffy eyes today."

Despite her tearful movie night, the princess said she thought Hamnet was "very raw," praising the music and the story of "intergenerational grief." And given her impeccable makeup and skincare routine, there wasn't a puffy eye in sight.

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