The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the London premiere of Tom Cruise’s latest film, ‘Digger’, on Tuesday, September 22, renewing their friendship with the Hollywood star. The royal couple were greeted by Cruise on a black carpet in Leicester Square for the gala screening.
Royal Engagement at the Premiere
Tom Cruise, who has known the Prince and Princess for several years and also met William’s mother, Princess Diana, complimented Prince William on his ‘great jacket’, referring to the Prince’s black velvet jacket, according to the BBC. Speaking later on the U.K. chat show The Graham Norton Show, Cruise described the royal couple as ‘amazing — very charismatic’ and noted he ‘had such a good time’ with them at the premiere, per a release obtained by People.com.
Other notable attendees at the premiere included David Beckham and his sons, Cruz and Romeo. The event marked the 73rd Royal Film Performance, held in support of the U.K.’s Film and TV Charity, an organisation dedicated to assisting industry professionals with mental wellbeing and financial support.
An accidental moment occurred as the royals made their way into the event when Claire Tavernier, chair of the charity, briefly stepped on the train of Catherine’s gown. The Princess appeared unfazed, however, bursting into laughter as she regained her footing.
This marked the first time Kate and William had walked a movie premiere red carpet together since May 2022, when they previously joined Cruise for the U.K. premiere of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. The couple’s night out came amid a particularly busy period for the royal family. This follows other significant announcements, including Prince George’s Eton College Path Announced.
Princess Catherine’s Attire and Historic Jewels
The Princess of Wales 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.
Her elegant ensemble was complemented by two significant pieces of royal jewellery. She wore Princess Diana’s pearl drop earrings, which feature a round diamond stud from which is suspended an additional round diamond, a diamond-set bell cap, and a large pearl drop. These earrings were given to Diana by Collingwood, a jewellery firm often favoured by the Spencers, and became a mainstay in her collection after their debut at a dinner in honour of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia in June 1981.
Catherine also adorned the late Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace. This rarely seen piece features a dramatic heart-shaped amethyst, suspended on three rows of pearls, interspersed with oval amethysts with a diamond surround, Tatler reports. The necklace’s history traces back to Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, and it was presented to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother, as a wedding gift in 1923. Prior to Catherine, the necklace was most recently seen in public on Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, at the London premiere of ‘Skyfall’ in 2012.
About the Film ‘Digger’ and Initial Reactions
Directed by Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, ‘Digger’ features Tom Cruise transformed into a grey-haired oil baron tasked with cleaning up his environmental mess. Full reviews of the film have not yet been published, but initial critical reactions on social media have been mixed.
IndieWire’s Anne Thompson described ‘Digger’ as ‘a brave and gorgeous art film that will not score with mainstream audiences but will play best for the Academy’, referring to the Oscars voters. However, Awards Radar editor Joey Magidson called the film ‘a mess’ and stated it ‘wasn’t enjoyable’.
