Prince William has made a significant change to his royal schedule while mourning his grandfather, the late Prince Philip, after his death.
The Duke of Cambridge, 38, will not be part of the 2021 BAFTAs ceremony. As president of the organization, William was supposed to deliver a speech for the annual event via video.
“In light of The Duke of Edinburgh’s passing, The Duke of Cambridge will no longer be part of BAFTA programming this weekend,” the British Academy confirmed in a statement on Saturday, April 10. “Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy at this time.”
The Duke of Edinburgh died on Friday, April 9, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” the family’s statement read. “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course.”
William has not publicly addressed the loss of his grandfather yet. His brother, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, also honored Philip on Friday with a statement posted to their Archewell website. “Thank you for your service,” they wrote. “You will be greatly missed.”
Philip is survived by wife Queen Elizabeth II, whom he married in 1947. They had the longest marriage in the history of the British royal family and share four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. They also have eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
The former Prince of Greece and Denmark joined the British Royal Navy at age 18 and didn’t retire until he was 96 in August 2017, after completing more than 22,000 solo engagements, becoming the longest-serving consort of a reigning British sovereign.
Philip was previously hospitalized for four days in December 2019 and again in February after feeling ill. Following a one-month stay and heart surgery, he returned home on March 16.
“The whole family is in mourning currently,” a source told Us on Friday, adding that funeral arrangements are underway. The veteran will not receive a “state funeral,” due to the coronavirus pandemic protocols, but will likely have a small gathering of close family members.
The military-style funeral is set to take place at St George’s Chapel, followed by a private burial.
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