The Prince and Princess of Wales’s appearance at the BAFTAs has become a weird moment in royal gossip. The British press is trying to do the same thing they always do when Princess Kate wanders around outside in a gown and a crazy wig: praise her to the hilt and pretend that Britain is so lucky that these two lazy royals deigned to show up for a fun event. Except there are exposed cracks in the system everywhere, and it’s becoming increasingly clear to everyone that Will and Kate are not built for crisis. One of the big headlines post-BAFTAs was that William told someone that he hasn’t watched Hamnet because “I’m not in a calm state.” This is the “diplomatic outburst” being referenced in this curious Daily Mail exclusive:

Prince William’s diplomatic outburst about his own mental health at the BAFTAs was a sign of his deep ‘frustration’ over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, fears for his father’s health and his desire to say more. The Prince and Princess of Wales are clearly ‘itching’ to further publicly distance themselves more from the future king’s errant uncle, a royal source has said.

William last night admitted he was ‘not in a calm state’ as the extraordinary Andrew drama engulfs the Royal Family, with some claiming its own future is in peril. Police searches continue at Royal Lodge, Windsor, today while Andrew remains on bail, and in hiding, at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate.

Making his first public appearance since the sensational arrest of his uncle, Prince William accompanied wife Kate to the Bafta awards in London. Their glamorous appearance signalled a determination to put the Royal Family’s difficulties to one side, but it appeared that issues around Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were not far from William’s mind.

‘William is frustrated because it’s still likely to be a problem on his plate when he eventually becomes King’, a royal insider has told the Daily Mail today. ‘I’m sure the Prince and Princess of Wales have been itching to say something publicly to distance themselves but they have to be cautious because of the police investigation. I think William and Kate are acutely aware that this is a scandal that won’t be going away for a long time. It’s a mess left by Andrew and the late Queen and, although His Majesty is very much in charge, William is frustrated’.

While the Princess remained silent on the ongoing issues involving Andrew, royal sources have said the couple’s main concerns surround the health of the King, who is still battling cancer.

A second source told the Daily Mail: ‘Obviously William is not feeling calm and he would have spoken on behalf of them both. It’s a terrible situation and they are very concerned about the health of the King and the impact this will be having on him. He is exhausted and it’s draining for him. Also as parents of young children, to be reading all of this is pretty awful and they are clearly concerned. William let this slip out last during a conversation and he would have done that on purpose, that is very clear. But Catherine has kept very quiet.’

[From The Daily Mail]

William Stop Centering Yourself 24-7 Challenge 2026. “But what about meeee and how I’m not calm!” Regarding the “I’m not in a calm state” quote… my impression was that he was actually being specific about Hamnet, the film, which he’s not in the right headspace to watch right now. I feel the same – I’m also not in the right headspace to watch that specific movie at the moment. It’s odd to see William’s throwaway comment being jumped on as some kind of reference to Prince Andrew or King Charles.

As for this exclusive… lmao. “I’m sure the Prince and Princess of Wales have been itching to say something publicly to distance themselves but they have to be cautious because of the police investigation.” William and Kate didn’t issue a statement last week because they’re lazy and they were on vacation (and they’re not built for crisis-management). But their staff have spent the past four days pushing a narrative that King Charles needs to abdicate and/or that Charles will be gone soon. Which is probably adding to Charles’s stress, you know? “I’m so worried about my stressed-out father, you guys, btw I’m gonna be king soon, yay!!”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.