Baftas 2010: My Prince Charming! Even Vanessa Redgrave bends her knee to William... and he helps her back up to her feet

By Liz Thomas and Simon Cable

Curtsy: Self-confessed republican Vanessa Redgrave's formal greeting as she meets Prince William on stage at the British Academy Film Awards last night

Prince William certainly charmed the star-studded crowd as he made his first ever appearance at the British Academy Film Awards last night.

The 27-year-old even managed to win over avowed republican Vanessa Redgrave as he presented her with a British Academy fellowship.

The acclaimed actress bowed down on bended knee as she greeted the young royal on stage, and was positively beaming as she kissed him on the cheek and he helped her back to her feet.


Drama: Vanessa Redgrave greets William and then makes a deep bow on stage


Honoured: William holds her arm to help her up and she embraces him


The fellowship recognises an individual's outstanding contribution to film and has previously gone to some of the industry's biggest names, including Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg.

Miss Redgrave, 73, whose daughter Natasha Richardson was killed in a skiing accident last year, has had a long and successful movie career, winning the best supporting actress Oscar in 1977 for Julia, in which she portrayed a Jewish woman murdered by the Nazis.

But while she is part of showbusiness royalty, she has not always been so keen on Britain's monarchy.

A self-confessed republican, in the 1970s she was heavily involved with The Workers' Revolutionary Party which called for the abolition of the monarchy.



source: dailymail