Kate Middleton and Prince William had a red carpet reunion with Tom Cruise at the London premiere of his latest film.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, attended the world premiere of Cruise’s upcoming film, Digger, at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square.
Kate made a glamorous entrance in a rich plum Jenny Packham gown, which featured a plunging neckline, ruched detailing at the waist and a sweeping skirt.
The glamorous outing marked a rare red carpet moment for William and Kate, who were all smiles as they stepped out together for the star-studded premiere. The couple last walked a movie premiere red carpet together more than four years ago, when they joined Cruise for the U.K. premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022.
Their night out comes amid a particularly busy period for the royal family. Charles Spencer’s new memoir about his sister, Princess Diana, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, hit shelves on Sept. 22 following a headline-making rollout that prompted a rare response from Buckingham Palace over one of Spencer’s claims involving King Charles.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the U.K. with their children in August has renewed attention on Harry’s relationships with his royal relatives, including his long-running rift with William. Neither brother has publicly commented on their relationship since Harry’s return, and both declined to answer reporters’ questions about Spencer’s book during separate appearances in London this week.
Tuesday’s premiere marked the 73rd Royal Film Performance, held in support of the U.K.’s Film and TV Charity. Prince William and Princess Kate were welcomed by representatives of the organization before walking the red carpet and meeting members of the cast and creative team, including Cruise and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
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Earlier in the day, William visited ActOne, an independent, community-led cinema in Acton, west London, to recognize the community spirit of British filmmaking and independent U.K. cinemas.
There, he met young filmmakers and creators from the local community as well as representatives from the Film and TV Charity to discuss their efforts in keeping local theaters operating and supporting independent creators.
William even got behind the concessions counter to serve up popcorn for some of the attendees..The Digger premiere was a royal reunion for Cruise, 64, who previously met William and Kate at the U.K. premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022. The royal couple walked the red carpet with the Hollywood star and met other members of the cast, including Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly.
The plot of Digger has been kept tightly under wraps, but the film stars Cruise as “the most powerful man in the world” in “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” according to Variety.
The cast also includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed and Emma D’Arcy.
The premiere was the 73rd Royal Film Performance delivered by the Film and TV Charity in its over 100-year history. The last Royal Film Performance was the premiere of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II in November 2024, which was attended by King Charles, who took over as patron of the charity following the death of his mother and predecessor, Queen Elizabeth.
While not a patron of the Film and TV Charity, Prince William is President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), which supports and develops the production of film, TV and video games in the U.K. Digger was filmed at Pinewood Studios, located in the English village of Iver Heath.
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