Kate Middleton recently celebrated her 43rd birthday surrounded by her family, and now that the new year is well underway, the question on many royal watchers' minds is when fans might expect to see her in public. With the BAFTAs coming up on Feb. 16, one source says it's likely the Princess of Wales will make her return to the red carpet.
In 2024, the princess was forced to miss the red carpet event due to recovering from abdominal surgery—and later finding out she'd been diagnosed with cancer. But hopes are high that Kate will be able to walk the red carpet in February.
"BAFTA has close ties with William and Kate and is pulling out all the stops to try to secure Kate's presence at this year's awards," a source told the Daily Mail.
The insider continued that the organization—which stands for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts—gave Princess Kate "warmest wishes when she revealed her cancer diagnosis and hopes she will appear alongside William in what will be her big showbiz return since she's been in recovery."
"Anything BAFTA can do to work around Kate, it will do," the source continued.
The Princess of Wales last walked the BAFTAs red carpet in 2023.
Movie fans William and Kate "love to watch the nominated films beforehand and we know Kate enjoys meeting those working in the film industry," the insider said. "We have been told that she wouldn't want to miss it, so she's hoping to be there with William."
If she attends, the event will mark her first red carpet event since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.
The Princess of Wales has attended Britain's answer to the Academy Awards on six previous occasions, wearing everything from a floral-print black dress to a stunning one-shouldered Alexander McQueen gown that she refashioned to wear again years later.
As for what she could rock to this year's BAFTAs, it's likely she could look to make another sustainable choice. Speaking to Marie Claire about her 2025 fashion predictions, longtime Princess Kate style blogger Susan Kelley said she thought "it would be terrific to see her in more designs underscoring sustainable fashion initiatives, such as the rented Solace London gown she wore for the 2022 Earthshot Prize awards in Boston."
Of course, no matter what she wears, fans will be thrilled to see the Princess of Wales return to the red carpet once again.
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