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Prince Philip was the first president of the BAFTAs, holding the title between 1959 and 1965, which is now occupied by his grandson, Prince William. Paying tribute, Edith said: "It was
Prince Philip and Her Majesty’s support throughout these years that, in many ways, has allowed BAFTA, a leading charity in the arts, to continue in difficult times and still be here today in
2021." She went on to add: "The Duke of Edinburgh occupies a special place in BAFTA’s history and our thoughts are with the royal family." Prince William had been scheduled
to make a virtual appearance at the ceremony but it was announced that in light of the death of his grandfather, he would no longer be appearing. A spokesperson for BAFTA said:
"Following the news that the Duke of Cambridge has withdrawn from this weekend's Bafta awards ceremony, the organisation said in a statement: "In light of the Duke of
Edinburgh's passing, the Duke of Cambridge will no longer be part of BAFTA programming this weekend. "Our thoughts are with the royal family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy
at this time."