The Prince and Princess of Wales brought royal star power to Leicester Square on Tuesday night, attending the world premiere of Tom Cruise’s new film Digger alongside David Beckham and a host of Hollywood celebrities.
Kate Middleton and Prince William joined Cruise for the Royal Film Performance of the satirical black comedy at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, marking their first major red-carpet appearance together since last year’s Royal Variety Performance. The event, which supports The Film and TV Charity, drew crowds to central London hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple and the film’s A-list cast.
David Beckham attended with his sons Romeo and Cruz, all three dressed in formal black-tie attire. The Beckham men posed for photographs with the Prince and Princess of Wales on the black carpet, creating one of the evening’s most photographed moments.
The premiere served as the 73rd Royal Film Performance delivered by The Film and TV Charity, continuing a tradition that dates back more than a century.
Kate Middleton and Prince William Attend the Digger Premiere
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square to cheers from assembled crowds, with hundreds gathering in the hope of seeing the royal couple and the film’s stars. William wore a black velvet double-breasted tuxedo jacket with a bow tie, while Kate opted for a floor-sweeping purple gown.
The couple was greeted by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of London and senior representatives from The Film and TV Charity before being escorted down the red carpet. They met with members of the cast and creative team, including Cruise and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, spending approximately ten minutes in conversation with the filmmaker and star before entering the theater.
Tom Cruise was heard complimenting William’s attire as the prince approached, saying “great jacket.” William referenced their previous meeting at the 2022 Top Gun: Maverick premiere, noting that the last time they met, Cruise “was in a helmet and flying suit.”
Inside the auditorium, the royal couple met with beneficiaries of the charity’s work before the screening began. The King’s band marked their entrance with a trumpet salute of “God Save the King,” prompting the audience to stand in respect.
Kate Middleton Wears a Purple Jenny Packham Gown
The Princess of Wales wore a purple chiffon gown by British designer Jenny Packham for the premiere, a notable departure from the more streamlined silhouettes she has favored at recent film events.
The gown featured a plunging neckline, a pleated bodice, and billowing long sleeves, with a flowing floor-length skirt. The design was described by fashion reporters as a shift away from Packham’s typical use of sequins and embellishments, instead offering a pared-back aesthetic in deep royal purple.
Kate’s hair was styled down and swept off her face, with the gown’s deep color serving as a backdrop for her historic jewelry selections.
The choice of Jenny Packham was consistent with Kate’s established relationship with the British couturier, though the purple ballgown silhouette represented a new direction for her premiere wardrobe. Previous notable Packham designs worn by the princess include a gold gown for the 2021 No Time to Die premiere and a green dress for the Earthshot Prize ceremony.
Kate Middleton’s Diana Earrings and Queen Mother’s Amethyst Necklace
The jewelry Kate wore to the Digger premiere carried significant royal history, drawing from two generations of the royal family.
Kate wore the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace, a rarely seen piece featuring pearls, diamonds, and amethysts with a heart-shaped pendant. The necklace dates to 1923, when Queen Alexandra reportedly gave it to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon—the future Queen Mother—as a wedding gift upon her marriage to King George VI.
The piece has seldom been worn in public. Its most recent appearance was in 2012, when Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, wore it to the premiere of the James Bond film Skyfall.
Kate paired the century-old necklace with pearl drop earrings that previously belonged to Princess Diana, identified by jewelry experts as the Collingwood pearl drop earrings. Diana wore the earrings on numerous occasions, most memorably with her black Christina Stambolian “revenge dress” at the Vanity Fair party in June 1994.
The combination of the Queen Mother’s necklace and Diana’s earrings created a visual link across multiple generations of royal women, a styling choice that royal fashion observers noted as particularly significant given the historical weight of both pieces.
David Beckham Joins the Star-Studded Digger Premiere
Sir David Beckham attended the premiere with his sons Romeo, 24, and Cruz, 21, all three wearing formal tuxedos for the occasion.
The Beckham family group posed for photographs with the Prince and Princess of Wales on the red carpet, with David standing alongside William and Kate while Cruz and Romeo flanked the group. The photograph captured one of the evening’s most notable intersections of British celebrity and royalty.
David Beckham received his knighthood from King Charles at Windsor Castle in November 2025 for services to sport and charity. His attendance at a Royal Film Performance continued his pattern of public appearances at major British cultural events.
Romeo Beckham has pursued a career in professional football, following in his father’s footsteps, while Cruz has explored music. The three Beckham men were dressed in coordinated black-tie attire, with David wearing a classic tuxedo and his sons matching the formal dress code.
Tom Cruise and the Stars at the Digger Premiere
Tom Cruise led the cast of Digger at the world premiere, arriving on the black carpet alongside director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and co-stars including Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Emma D’Arcy, and Sophie Wilde.
Cruise greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales on the carpet, and was later photographed helping Kate down the steps into the cinema as she navigated her floor-length gown. Speaking to reporters before the royal couple’s arrival, Cruise said: “I just love them. They are lovely people, and I have great respect for them.”
During the on-stage introductions before the screening, Cruise addressed the audience and thanked the royal guests: “We want to thank the royal highnesses for supporting this event, and just to tell them that we love them and we really appreciate what they do for the arts, for this country and for the world.”
Other notable attendees included J.J. Abrams, Hannah Waddingham, Salma Hayek, and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who shot the film in VistaVision.
What Is Digger About?
Digger is a satirical black comedy directed and co-written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the four-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind Birdman and The Revenant.
Tom Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, an eccentric Southern billionaire and oil tycoon described as “the most powerful man in the world.” After his company triggers a catastrophic environmental disaster—an explosion on a glacier that causes widespread destruction and tsunamis—Rockwell embarks on a chaotic mission to convince the world he is humanity’s savior and the only person capable of cleaning up the mess he created.
The film marks a significant departure for Cruise, who is best known for action franchises including Mission: Impossible and Top Gun. Early reactions to the trailer generated awards-season buzz, with some suggesting Cruise could be a Best Actor contender for the transformative role, which required extensive prosthetic makeup by Oscar-winning designer Kazu Hiro.
The supporting cast includes Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons, Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, John Goodman as the President of the United States, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma D’Arcy, Sophie Wilde, Burn Gorman, and Robert John Burke.
Iñárritu co-wrote the screenplay with Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman. The film was shot entirely in VistaVision by three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, reuniting the director with his Birdman collaborator.
Digger opens exclusively in theaters and IMAX on October 2, 2026, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Why Kate Middleton’s Premiere Look Is Getting Attention
The Princess of Wales’s appearance at the Digger premiere generated significant fashion and jewelry commentary, driven by two primary elements: the unusual silhouette of her Jenny Packham gown and the historical weight of her accessories.
The purple chiffon gown represented a stylistic shift for Kate, who has typically favored more fitted or structured silhouettes at film premieres. The plunging neckline and pleated bodice marked a departure from her recent premiere wardrobe, which included a two-tone Roland Mouret gown for Top Gun: Maverick in 2022 and a white crochet Self-Portrait dress for A Street Cat Named Bob.
Fashion writers noted that the Jenny Packham design abandoned the designer’s signature embellishments for a simpler, flowing aesthetic that allowed the jewelry to serve as the focal point.
The Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace drew particular attention because of its rarity. The piece has been worn in public only a handful of times in its century-long history, and its appearance at a film premiere echoed its last outing at the Skyfall premiere in 2012.
The pairing of the necklace with Diana’s Collingwood pearl drop earrings created a narrative connecting three generations of royal women—Queen Alexandra, the Queen Mother, and Princess Diana—in a single look. Jewelry historians noted that the earrings’ association with Diana’s 1994 “revenge dress” moment added cultural resonance beyond their material value.
Royal and Celebrity Event Context
Royal attendance at major film premieres operates within a specific institutional framework. The Royal Film Performance is a longstanding tradition in which members of the royal family attend a film premiere to raise funds for The Film and TV Charity, which supports workers behind the scenes in the British film and television industry.
The Digger premiere marked the 73rd Royal Film Performance delivered by the charity in its more than 100-year history. The event’s proceeds support the charity’s mission to create healthier and more supportive working environments for industry professionals.
Kate and William’s attendance at the Digger premiere follows a pattern of royal engagement with the British film industry. The couple previously attended the UK premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022, where they first met Tom Cruise. William has also worked with Cruise on charitable initiatives, including an event supporting the London Air Ambulance charity.
Earlier on the day of the premiere, Prince William visited ActOne Cinema in west London to celebrate the venue’s fifth anniversary. He served popcorn and sold tickets to moviegoers, joking with customers about the cinema’s operations.
Everything to Know About the Digger Premiere
Date and Location: The world premiere of Digger took place on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London.
Royal Attendance: Kate Middleton and Prince William attended as part of the Royal Film Performance, supporting The Film and TV Charity.
Kate’s Outfit: The Princess of Wales wore a purple chiffon Jenny Packham gown with a plunging neckline, pleated bodice, and billowing sleeves.
Jewelry: Kate wore the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace—a piece dating to 1923—and Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl drop earrings.
Celebrity Guests: David Beckham attended with sons Romeo and Cruz. Tom Cruise led the film’s cast, which also includes Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, and Jesse Plemons. Other attendees included J.J. Abrams, Hannah Waddingham, and Salma Hayek.
The Film: Digger is a satirical black comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, starring Tom Cruise as an oil tycoon who triggers a global disaster and then attempts to position himself as humanity’s savior. The film opens in theaters and IMAX on October 2, 2026.
Charity Purpose: The premiere raised funds for The Film and TV Charity, marking the 73rd Royal Film Performance.
Key Takeaways
- Kate Middleton and Prince William attended the world premiere of Digger in London on September 22, 2026, as part of the Royal Film Performance supporting The Film and TV Charity.
- David Beckham attended with his sons Romeo and Cruz, with the family posing for photographs alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales on the red carpet.
- Kate wore a purple Jenny Packham gown featuring a plunging neckline and pleated bodice, a departure from her typical premiere style.
- The Princess of Wales wore two historically significant jewelry pieces: the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace, dating to 1923 and rarely seen in public, and Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl drop earrings.
- Tom Cruise stars in Digger as an oil tycoon who causes a global environmental disaster and then attempts to save humanity from the catastrophe he created. The film is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
- Digger opens in theaters and IMAX on October 2, 2026.