Before he attended last night’s royal premiere of Digger, Prince William visited ActOne in West London. ActOne is a community space, led by volunteers, and it includes a movie theater and a cafe. William was seemingly there as BAFTA president. Meaning, Tuesday was his “BAFTA day,” his one day to do events related to film and the British movie theaters. So far, so boring. Except that when he was walking into this event, someone called out to him, asking him about Charles Spencer’s book, which was released on Tuesday. William ignored the question.
Prince William refused to answer questions about his uncle Earl Spencer’s book on his late mother Princess Diana this morning as he visited a community cinema.
The Prince of Wales was on a trip to ActOne in Acton, west London, in an effort to highlight the British film industry and community spirit of independent cinemas. But William’s visit risked being overshadowed by the ongoing row surrounding the earl’s new book ‘Swan Song: Diana, My Sister’ which went on sale this morning.
The earl has made claims including that King Charles said ‘we’ll forget her soon enough’ after Diana died and he sounded ‘giddily elated’ in the wake of the crash. This has prompted a war of words between him and Buckingham Palace, which said in a responding statement that ‘the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason’.
As William walked up the steps to the cinema on Acton High Street today, a reporter asked him: ‘Sir, how do you feel about your uncle’s book, have you read it?’
But the prince ignored the question as he quickly made his way inside through the open entrance doors, while one royal fan shouted: ‘We love you, William!’
William was visiting ActOne, which opened in 2021 after a group of more than 100 volunteers restored the area’s Passmore Edwards community library. The site was turned into a two-screen cinema, café and community space – which is now run by a small team of full-time staff and a large group of volunteers. In addition to blockbusters, the cinema shows the latest independent British films, world cinema, documentaries, film festival screenings and filmmaker events.
I’m including the video below – if I’m not mistaken, that was the Times’ Roya Nikkhah calling out the question to William, which he ignored. Meaning… William was not being “heckled.” It’s quite common for royal reporters to call out questions as royals are walking by, just as it’s common for royals to ignore those reporters. There’s a concerted effort to portray William as incandescent or consumed with betrayal over his uncle’s book. And that’s interesting, right? Because from what I can see… William hasn’t said anything or done anything. Buckingham Palace is trying to drag William into King Charles’ PR disaster and William seems content to just stay silent and let everything play out.
Prince William asked how he feels about his uncle’s book. He’s then asked if he has read Charles Spencer’s controversial Swan Song about his mother, Princess Diana, which contains contentious claims about William’s father, King Charles… pic.twitter.com/FOeaLrpkhA
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) September 22, 2026
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Prince of Wales, with Nick Jones Director of ActOne, during a visit to ActOne Cinema, an independent, community-led cinema in Acton, west London, to celebrate the British film industry and the community spirit of independent UK cinemas Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 22 Sep 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince of Wales, with Nick Jones Director of ActOne, during a visit to ActOne Cinema, an independent, community-led cinema in Acton, west London, to celebrate the British film industry and the community spirit of independent UK cinemas Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 22 Sep 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince of Wales, with Nick Jones Director of ActOne, during a visit to ActOne Cinema, an independent, community-led cinema in Acton, west London, to celebrate the British film industry and the community spirit of independent UK cinemas Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 22 Sep 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Asking Billy Idle if he’s read a book is a bit like asking Trump if he’s read one!
“Why are you asking me, Roya? You know I can’t read!”
Billy can’t read a staff brief but Nikkah expects him to read a whole ass book.
LOL William is not picking up that book unless it’s to throw it across the room.
Oh see, I think the opposite— they all like to pretend that they’re so above it all and would never stoop to read such a book – or anything about themselves online or in the tabloids – but imo, all of the Leftovers devoured it the moment they could. The morbid curiosity alone would be overwhelming, and I’m sure they all wanted to know if they were mentioned in it. They’d all deny reading it, if asked, but imo there’s no way they have the willpower to ignore it.
(And William needs to know whether he needs to hate his uncle as much as he hates his brother.)
It’s actually incredibly common for any and all officials to be asked questions like this and while they are on the move, particularly when they refuse press conferences or on the record questions and answers. I’m just shocked it was nikkah and he did t have an answer prepared. When they did it for the Oprah interview they brought in a news reporter.
@Blujfly, I’m also shocked that it was Nikkah who asked the question! Going off script for her, lol.
I can’t remember who asked Will the question that resulted in his, “we’re very much not a racist family” response.
Idk maybe it’s just me but the fact that it was roya nikka who asked the question makes me think it was pre approved by William. Someone from KP told her via WhatsApp that she could ask him like that. And it got him attention didn’t it? But maybe that’s just me being too suspicious. I just can’t see her doing it without some sort of approval bc she wouldn’t want to lose future exclusives.
@Jais, because it was Nikkah, I thought of that too, that it was planned, but then wouldn’t William have answered it? (No doubt that any answer he gave would have been terrible because he’s William, but still.)
I don’t know that he needed to answer it. The question got him attention, more than slinging popcorn did, and then William choosing not to answer it shows him being above it all yeah?
Actually, at public officials, yes, but it is incredibly unusual for royal reporters or even ordinary reporters in the UK to shout questions at the royals unless it’s to ask whether they’re having a good day or enjoying whatever whether it is. Otherwise, it’s frowned upon (remember how huffy the rota pretended to be when someone asked William whether the royals were a racist family? Even Harry, in South Africa, said “Rhiannon, don’t be like this” when she kept shouting questions as he got into his car to leave an event at which she had been present.). They painted Harry as being angry at the time because it suited their narrative, but there were several who admitted that the reporter had been out of line. They were more irate about someone asking questions of William (and in Kate’s presence, oh dear) than they were at someone shouting questions about “controversial” matters at Harry in New York and in the UK.
I agree with those who surmised that it was a scripted moment, especially as it was Nikkah. You see, the reporters would ordinarily NEVER do anything like this to William and Kate, but they have been screaming questions at Harry in public places for years, all to get more soundbytes with which to beat him over the head. So, given that someone shouted a similar question at Harry as he arrived for Wellchild, they *had* to make it look as they they were giving both brothers the same treatment.
honestly, its appalling that the royals are never seriously questioned by reporters – no press conferences, no shouted questions unless pre approved with scripted answers (“very much not a racist family”) And its just accepted as how it is, with briefings via whatsapp. Do their spokespeople ever give press conferences?
The Windsors put out a statement on letterhead and that’s just that, and that’s the end of the discussion.
And for ordinary celebrities that’s fine – but this is the head of state, the commander in chief, and the heir, who receive millions in taxpayer funding (and I’m not just talking about the duchies, but the tax benefits, the security costs, etc) and they just never seem to be questioned.
Yep. Exactly. Earl Spencer said in one of his interviews when one of the talking heads who usually slags off H+M (Lorraine?) seemed to be parroting the palace talking points in her questions and channeling their concern about the book: “I mean, Buckingham Palace literally has journalists who take dictation from them” 😀 . He was saying he knew “going in” that it was going to be difficult, he was going to be attacked, etc., because the palaces have a lot of power (hence dictation comment), but he decided to write the truth. He was also pointing out, yet again, that despite the fact that BP did NOT deny what he said, they’ve got numerous reporters claiming that the palace did, and echoing their talking points about HIM.
Case in point: they take extra public money to maintain public buildings (see BP), fail to maintain the buildings, channel the huge sums elsewhere, then request/demand more money to maintain the same buildings “because they are falling into disrepair” (BP is now said to be uninhabitable) and instead of questioning where the original monies went, the government meekly forks over MORE money. In other countries, the government would be the ones managing the repairs and upkeep and that money would be very separate from the money the royals are paid for their dubious duty, but no. And not a single one of the so called journalists who claim to “report without fear or favour” has shown the slightest inclination to question it. Instead, they bend over backwards to explain that that huge sum is NOT for the royals, it’s for “necessary repairs”, but they have been saying that for decades in one form or another. Just look how many “experts” believe that the Crown Estates belong to the monarch!
The ones who claim to support the monarchy, and many of those who make a living writing and talking about the monarchy, are among the least educated about the monarchy. Like the MAGA crowd, they won’t ask questions.
There’s a post on Reddit from someone who says that they, a friend, and two of their children were at this cinema for a children’s event but were asked to leave when William came.
Lovely! “Normal Bill” indeed 🙄
William must be in quite a tizzy. Good. But it still won’t make a man out of him.
I think sitting down and reading a fresh account of his mother’s life from someone who genuinely knew and loved her would do wills the world of good. Unfortunately, I also think pigs will fly before it happens.
one royal fan shouted: ‘We love you, William!’
So Jason Knauf was in the crowd (well, “crowd” is a bit too generous)??
“Crowd” lmfao. They didn’t even bother putting up those useless barriers this time.
He can read?
😆😁
it’s highly questioned wether he is able to so who knows🤷🏻♀️
I’ve seen royalists upset that William had to endure being asked a question by the press. He didn’t seem to mind when the planted Sky News reporter asked him about the Oprah interview in 2021. On fact he was purposely at that engagement so he could give the press that soundbite.
Beards are funny things. Harry’s beard makes him infinitely hotter (IMO) yet Will’s beard made his attractiveness plummet even more precipitously than it already was.
William is chronically and disastrously unattractive. Back in my day we would call Pegs “fugly”.
Coyote ugly. If Kate didn’t have a separation cottage, I think we’d be checking to see all her limbs are still attached every time she comes out of hiding.
I’m 99 percent sure that William was told by his handlers to ignore all questions about his uncle’s book.