In light of the recent event of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth‘s passing, many in the film industry are adjusting their plans or canceling events in order to pay their respects to the former monarch. This was also the response of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, who have canceled their upcoming TV Tea Party, which was meant to take place this Saturday, in the wake of her passing.
In a statement BAFTA said,
“In light of today’s very sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the annual BAFTA TV Tea Party will no longer be taking place this weekend.
We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen, whose close association with BAFTA spanned 50 years. Our thoughts are with BAFTA’s President HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the Royal Family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy.”
The Queen has had close ties with BAFTA since its inception, and her patronage and the continued involvement of the Royal Family has been considered vital to its ongoing work. BAFTA’s CEO, Kevin Price, and BAFTA Chair, Krishnendu Majumdar, released a statement upon hearing the news.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen, whose close association with the Academy spanned 50 years. Through her various patronages, The Queen was renowned for her support of the UK’s creative industries, having been patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Royal Variety Charity and the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. Over the years, The Queen has visited countless film and television organisations, supporting their efforts by highlighting the work they do.”
They noted how the Queen and the Royal Family have been with the organization since the beginning and played a significant role in establishing their London home at 195 Piccadilly, where they remain to this date. The Queen herself was a recipient of a BAFTA in 2013, when “an honorary British Academy Special Award was presented by Sir Kenneth Branagh in recognition of The Queen’s outstanding patronage of the film and television industries.”
Price and Majumdar finish the statement by offering their condolences, saying, “The Queen occupies a unique place in the Academy’s history and will be missed enormously. Our thoughts are with our President, HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the Royal Family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy.”
This is not the only event to have been affected by the news of her passing, with the Toronto Film Festival put on pause as the film community and citizens of Canada, a Commonwealth country, also mourn the loss of their British Sovereign.
Our condolences are with the Royal Family and those mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II at this time.