The Queen will receive a special tribute at the Baftas this year

Dame Helen Mirren is set to honour the late monarch

Queen Elizabeth II
(Image credit: Samir Hussein / Getty)

The BAFTAs is set to return this weekend, with stars of silver screen gathering in London to celebrate the best in British and International contributions to film. 

While it is usually held at the Royal Albert Hall, the 76th British Academy Film Awards will take place at the Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre, with celebrities flocking from across the globe to attend the ceremony. 

This year, Austin Butler, Cate Blanchett, Ke Huy Quan and Emma Thompson are among the actors nominated for a coveted golden mask award, while Stephen Speilberg's The Fabelmans and Baz Lurhmann's Elvis are also up for gongs. 

It is always a glittering affair in the capital, with Prince William and Kate Middleton regular attendees of the award show

This year, the late Queen Elizabeth II will also be honoured with a special tribute given by Dame Helen Mirren. 

The royal, who sadly passed away in September, had a close relationship with the Baftas, serving as patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Royal Variety Charity, as well as donating proceeds from related projects to establish a headquarters for the organisation in 1972. 

Queen Elizabeth II also received a BAFTA of her own in 2013 and was awarded the honorary British Academy Special Award to recognise her support of the British film and television industry. 

This year, Dame Helen Mirren - who won an Oscar for her performance as the monarch in the 2006 film The Queen - will pay special tribute during the ceremony, with a BAFTA spokesperson stating: "The Queen occupies a unique place in BAFTA's history, a close association that spanned 50 years. Through her various patronages, The Queen was renowned for her support of the UK's creative industries."

Prince William currently serves as President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, a role he has had since 2010, and the Prince and Princess of Wales will be attending the award ceremony on Sunday. 

The EE BAFTAs will be broadcast on BBC One from 7pm on Sunday 19th February.

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.