Prince William has made an appearance at the BAFTAs via a pre-recorded message after he and Princess Kate announced they would not attend the event.

In the pre-recorded clip, the Prince of Wales – who is President of BAFTA – said: “As president of BAFTA, I’m delighted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Rising Star Award which is presented in honour of casting director Mary Selway.

“What a 20 years and what a line-up of exceptional talent. Since 2006, this award has not only championed the industry’s rising stars but it’s helped inspire the next generation of acting talent to pursue their dreams.

“The five incredibly talented people nominated tonight demonstrate a remarkable range of performances and have each captured the imagination of audiences over the last year.”

The prince continued: “Judging by the international success of the previous nominees and winners of this award, I am certain that we’ll be seeing much more of their work over the next 20 years and beyond.”

Before the end of the pre-recorded message, the future King welcomed previous winners James McAvoy and Letitia Wright to the stage before wishing the audience a wonderful night.

James and Letitia then announced Rye Lane actor David Jonsson as the 2025 winner.

While the prince often attends the awards ceremony himself, it was reported last week that neither William or his wife Kate would be in attendance tonight.

This was confirmed by Kensington Palace in a statement last week.