PRINCE Philip was tonight honored during a star-studded BAFTA Awards after he served as its very first President.
Hosts Dermot O’Leary and Edith Bowman opened the ceremony by honouring the Duke of Edinburgh, who died aged 99 on Friday and was made the first president of Bafta in 1959.
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They shared a touching tribute to Philip, and said that the royal had a “very special place in BAFTA history” after he served as the first president from 1959 to 1965.
Dermot, 47, began by saying: “Before we start tonight we want to say that on behalf of BAFTA, we are extremely saddened by the passing of his royal highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on Friday.
“The Duke was BAFTA’s very first president over 60 years ago and was the first royal patron, a line that goes all the way through to BAFTA’s current president, his grandson the Duke of Cambridge.”
Edith, 47, also paid her respects as she added: “It was Prince Philip and her Majesty the Queen’s support throughout these years that in many ways allowed BAFTA, a leading charity in the arts, to continue in difficult times and to be here today in 2021.
“The Duke of Edinburgh occupies a very special place in BAFTA history and he will be missed. Our thoughts are with the royal family.”
Broadcast from London’s Albert Hall without an audience because of coronavirus restrictions, the awards went ahead despite a period of national mourning for the royal, the husband of Queen Elizabeth.
The Duke of Edinburgh grandson Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, is the academy’s current president.
He earlier announced he would not participate in the awards as previously planned.
William had been due to deliver a speech via video, celebrating the resilience of the film industry over the past year.
The Bafta ceremony, which was delayed by two months, was largely virtual this year, with only the hosts and presenters appearing in person at the Royal Albert Hall.
Sir Anthony Hopkins won the best actor gong for his performance as a man slipping into dementia in The Father, defeating the late Chadwick Boseman, who was considered the frontrunner for his turn in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Rocks star Bukky Bakray, 19, looked shocked as she was announced as the winner of the Rising Star prize, the only Bafta voted for by the public, and she paid tribute to rapper DMX, who died on Friday, as well as other members of the Rocks team.
Daniel Kaluuya won the best supporting actor prize for Judas And The Black Messiah, in which he plays Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, and said it was “an honour to be a vessel for him”.
He also paid tribute to actor Ashley Walters for the impact he had on Kaluuya’s formative years, saying Walters was “a light and guided the way”.
Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn said she was honoured to be recognised by the “snobbish” Brits as she won the supporting actress prize for Minari.
She defeated homegrown talent including Kosar Ali and Ashley Madekwe to win for her portrayal as an eccentric grandmother in the tender family drama.
She said: “Every award is meaningful but especially this one. British people are known as very snobbish people and they approve of me as a good actor, so I’m very privileged and happy.”
Director Thomas Vinterberg paid tribute to his late daughter as his film Another Round was honoured at the ceremony.
The Danish filmmaker, who is also responsible for projects including The Hunt and Far From The Madding Crowd, lost his teenage daughter Ida in a car accident at the start of the shoot, and much of the movie was made at her school.
The film, which stars Casino Royale actor Mads Mikkelsen as a teacher who tests a theory that he will improve his life by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in his blood, picked up the gong for film not in the English language.
Accepting the prize, Vinterberg said: “I did have a small suspicion you Brits might like a movie about drinking.”
After a string of thanks, he added: “Most importantly, I want to thank my daughter Ida, who is no longer here.
“She was more enthusiastic about this project than anyone else and it made her miss her hometown Copenhagen, and now we miss her.
“We made this movie for her, so the honour granted by you Bafta voters means more to us than you could ever imagine.”
