NEED TO KNOW
- Prince William recently visited the Wales sets of ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ and more — even getting a tour of the Doctor’s iconic TARDIS
- The set visit was recorded as part of the Prince of Wales’ special message for the BAFTA Cymru Awards on Oct. 6
- The TV milestone comes just a few days after William gave his most candid interview ever during his appearance on Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series, ‘The Reluctant Traveler’
Prince William got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of Britain’s most iconic TV sets.
Back in September, the Prince of Wales, 43, who also serves as the president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), paid a visit to Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff, which is home to Doctor Who, His Dark Materials, the upcoming series The Other Bennet Sister and more.
The surprise visit — during which William got to board Doctor Who’s legendary TARDIS — was recorded alongside a special message that the prince delivered for the BAFTA Cymru Awards on Monday, Oct. 6.
BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh brand of BAFTA, and the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Instagram account shared a video of William touring the studios and meeting with trainees in Bad Wolf’s Screen Alliance Wales (SAW) training initiative, with a caption in both English and Welsh.
“Ahead of sharing a special message at the @baftacymru Awards this evening, it was a pleasure to spend time at Bad Wolf Studios Wales in Cardiff, meeting trainees supported by @bafta’s Prince of Wales Bursary and Screen Alliance Wales, exploring the sets of The Other Bennet Sister and Doctor Who, and joining St Albans R.C. Primary School for a classroom puppetry workshop,” the caption read.
“From period pieces to all of time and space, both the BAFTA bursary and Bad Wolf Studios are actively inspiring future generations of creative talent. Well done to all those involved, and best of luck to tonight’s nominees!”
In his video for the awards ceremony, William praised BAFTA’s “world-renowned talent pipeline,” while also citing the need for programs like SAW.
“Whilst talent is everywhere, all too often opportunity is lacking,” he said. “That’s where BAFTA’s bursary programme plays an important role in supporting the next generation of talent, giving young people vital support to get that crucial first step on the career ladder.”
“These bursaries are used to pay for training courses, equipment, relocation expenses, and much more – the essentials without which talented people can be locked out of a career in the screen arts,” he added, thanking BAFTA’s partner in continuing to support the Bursary program.
Following William’s visit to Bad Wolf, The Other Bennet Sister executive producer Jane Tranter praised it as “a complete joy.”
“We are so incredibly proud of the outreach work being done by Allison Dowzell and the team at Screen Alliance Wales, and for Prince William to help highlight the work being done at the studios means a great deal,” Tranter said. “He was introduced to trainees from a wide range of departments, and it was fantastic to see him take such an interest in the new generation of TV creatives.”
“We are so proud that many of the SAW trainees have gone on to be awarded Prince William BAFTA bursaries, and His Royal Highness was fascinated to hear how each of the trainees was using their bursary to further their careers.”
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The reveal of William’s set visit comes just days after another major TV moment. The prince recently gave perhaps the most in-depth interview of his life in an appearance on Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler,
In the Oct. 3 episode, William and Levy shared a pint and toured Windsor Castle, all while the legendary comedian peppered the Prince of Wales with personal questions. William offered some surprisingly candid answers about everything from his parents’ divorce to how his children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — coped with Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis.
He even made mention of his estranged brother, Prince Harry, while reflecting on how he feels about George one day following in his footsteps to become King of England.
“It’s an interesting question, and it’s a big question, that one,” William said. “Because there’s lots of things to think about with that.”
He continued, “Obviously, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better. That is caveated with, I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices in the past, that Harry and I had to grow up with — and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation.”
“I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good,” William added. “And I embrace that and I enjoy that change – I don’t fear it. That’s the bit that excites me, is the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think that need to happen.”
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