Glamorous Kate in Show-Stopping One-Shoulder McQueen Gown for BAFTA Awards

It was a glamorous, star-studded night for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who joined a host of famous faces for this year's BAFTA Awards at the Royal Albert Hall.

William and Kate walked the red carpet upon arrival.

The Cambridges made their joint debut at the event in 2016 for the 70th awards ceremony and attended again last year. To the delight of royal fans, it very much looks like it's becoming an annual calendar fixture. Prince William has been President of the Academy since 2010, and both he and the Duchess have supported BAFTA’s charitable activities by attending events across the charity’s learning programme, including Young Game Designers and BAFTA Kids events, as well as others related to building cross-cultural collaborations with the creative industries in China.

Ahead of the ceremony the Palace said: "BAFTA is a world-leading, independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. While BAFTA is well-known for celebrating excellence and championing creativity through its awards, it is a charity committed to identifying talented individuals, and making sure they receive the encouragement, professional support and advice that will enable them to succeed, regardless of their background or other circumstances."

They were greeted by BAFTA representatives.

Of course, the prestigious BAFTAs are a highlight during awards season, with winners on the night often considered front-runners for the Oscars. The night is an opportunity to honour the best British and international contributions to film.

The BAFTA award trophy is a mask designed by American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe. When the Guild merged with the British Film Academy to become the Society of Film and Television Arts, later the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the first 'BAFTA award' was presented to Sir Charles Chaplin on his Academy Fellowship that year.

Best Film contenders this year are BLACKkKlansman, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma and A Star is Born.

The Duke and Duchess enter the hall.

A terrific shot from BAFTA.

Kate enjoys a laugh with BAFTA CEO Amanda Berry.

A great shot of William and Kate.

Best actress nominee Glenn Close with Thandie Newton.

Leading actor nominees Rami Malek and Bradley Cooper.

Leading actress nominee Viola Davis.

Olivia Coleman was nominated for her performance as Queen Anne in the Favourite. Rachel Weisz also stars in the film.

Colman will succeed Claire Foy in the role of Her Majesty the Queen in the next series of The Crown. Foy was also in attendance tonight.

And supporting actress nominee Amy Adams.

Prince William took to the stage to present the Fellowship Award to Thelma Schoonmaker. The award is the highest accolade bestowed by the Academy to an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. Ms Schoonmaker is an American film editor who is best known for her work with director Martin Scorsese on movies including Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Aviator and The Departed.

More on Schoonmaker's illustrious career from The Guardian:

'While Schoonmaker, as a triple-Oscar winner, can hardly claim to be unsung, she does argue that women’s crucial role in film-making has been underestimated.
Listing Dede Allen, Verna Fields and Anne Coates, the artistically powerful Hollywood editors of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, as further evidence of a strong tradition that has continued with the late Sally Menke’s editing of Quentin Tarantino’s films and in the work of Alisa Lepselter for Woody Allen, Schoonmaker suggests women first became involved in the industry as assistants in film laboratories.

“They were there spooling film in the labs, back when it was just one 100ft roll. Then Griffith, and [Sergei] Eisenstein in Russia, started cutting and editing their films and directors needed someone to splice the footage together. These women already knew how to handle film,” she said. “Then, as soon as editing became a more important job and men saw it was possibly going to be paid better, they started pushing women out,” said Schoonmaker. “I have a feeling it became a plum job after the second world war, when men came back from fighting.”

Schoonmaker first met Scorsese by chance on a summer film course in New York and he began to teach her his craft. “Marty felt he could trust me to do what was right for a movie,” she recalled. “My artistic development came through him. We don’t fight and it has been a wonderful collaboration.”

While Roma won Best Picture, The Favourite reigned supreme at the awards. More from The Guardian:

'Olivia Colman’s performance as the unstable, self-pitying and hilariously bad-mannered Queen Anne won her Bafta award success on Sunday evening – one of seven awards for the 18th-century comedy The Favourite. The film was easily the biggest winner at the glitzy Royal Albert Hall ceremony, picking up prizes including including best British film, best production design, best supporting actress, best original screenplay and best costume design.

“We are having an amazing night aren’t we?” said Colman in her speech, which met with a standing ovation. “We are going to get so pissed later.”

A video from the night.

After the show they met a host of winners. William complimented Bradley Cooper on his musical performance in A Star is Born and discussed Lady GaGa's involvement with the Heads Together campaign with the actor. The video also features footage of Kate chatting with winners Spike Lee and Olivia Colman.

The Duchess with Leading Actor winner Rami Malek.

William with Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman.

In 2016, Kate selected a bespoke Alexander McQueen gown with a floral print and tiered skirt. Last year, it was bespoke dark green Jenny Packham with show-stopping emeralds.

This year's gown is not only my favourite BAFTA choice for Kate, it's one of the most beautiful she's worn to date. The Duchess looked stunning in a Grecian-style, ivory one-shoulder gown by Alexander McQueen. The gown is fabulous in photos, however, it really comes to life in video when one can see the light, whimsical flow of the fabric in motion.

A closer look at the floral shoulder detail.

As noted by several readers, the gown bears notable similarities to the pink one shoulder gown Kate wore for Prince Charles' 70th birthday. I expect they are both by the same designer. The Duchess styled both looks similarly with up-dos, statement earrings, a dark eye and stronger lip.

Laura from UFO No More posted a similar McQueen design Kate's gown may be based on.

It was a new glittering pair of Jimmy Choos for the Duchess.

They are the Romy 100 Silver and Dusk Blue Fireball Glitter Dégradé Fabric Pointy Toe Pumps (with thanks to Laura).

The Duchess accessorised with a statement pair of Princess Diana's earrings.

Diana wore the striking earrings on numerous occasions throughout the 1990s. They often added a finishing touch to black-tie and white-tie events. It seems their provenance is unknown; they were likely a private gift. As you can see Diana's pearls are larger; Kate likely had them modified. Below, Diana wearing them at a banquet in Korea.

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More from The Telegraph:

'Princess Diana left her jewellery to her sons, in order that their future wives may wear and enjoy it. And, true to her wishes, the Duchess of Cambridge attended the BAFTAs wearing a pair of diamond and pearl earrings from the collection of her husband’s late mother.

The earrings feature a double curve of various cuts of diamonds, with a cluster of marquise-cut stones in the centre, from which hangs a single pearl. Princess Diana wore the earrings with sizeable, silver-toned South Sea pearl drops on several black-tie occasions.

She wore them with the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, a piece the Duchess of Cambridge has also borrowed on several occasions, at a banquet for the Japanese Emperor Akihito in 1990, and again at a banquet in South Korea in 1992, when she paired them with the Spencer tiara she’d worn on her wedding day. The earrings appeared also during a visit to Pakistan in 1991, and at a gala at the Palace of Versailles in 1994.'

Kate added another touch of sparkle in the form of the Queen's Quatrefoil bracelet. More from Her Majesty's Jewel Vault: "The wide diamond bracelet features multiple diamond quatrefoil motifs, the four-lobed design popular in architecture, art, heraldry, and elsewhere. Each quatrefoil outline is filled with five individual diamonds." The provenance of the piece is unknown and it's hardly been worn. Kate's worn it several times.

And a white clutch thought to be by McQueen.

A closer look at Kate's updo.

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We'll see Kate twice on Wednesday. The Duchess will attend The Royal Foundation’s ‘Mental Health in Education’ conference and that evening it's the 100 Women in Hedge Funds gala.