The Duchess chose a gown by Roland Mouret and earrings from Robinson Pelham for tonight’s premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.
The black-tie event was designated a Royal Film Performance™, the first such performance since 2019. It was a fundraiser for the Film and TV charity, an organization helping those who work behind the scenes in the film and television industries in the UK. Below, the Duke and Duchess with Cameron Saunders, acting chair of the non-profit, and Alex Pumfrey, the charity’s CEO.
A video of the couple arriving.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived at the @TopGunMovie premiere in Leicester Square, with Tom Cruise welcoming them on the red carpet. Kate is in @RolandMouret #TopGunMaverick pic.twitter.com/vNPfBGWc1E
— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) May 19, 2022
A wider shot.
Another view.
Maverick star Tom Cruise greeted the Duke and Duchess.
A real P15 jet was installed at Leicester Square for tonight’s premiere, a prime backdrop for many of tonight’s photos.
A quick video.
A real fighter jet has landed in central London ahead of the UK premiere of ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ the sequel to the original Tom Cruise blockbuster from 1986 pic.twitter.com/XxJvOH7uke
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 19, 2022
More about the film from Variety’s review:
Hardly anything in “Top Gun: Maverick” will surprise you, except how well it does nearly all the things audiences want and expect it to do. Orchestrated by Joseph Kosinski — the dynamo who collaborated with Cruise on “Oblivion” and first worked with Miles Teller on 2017’s terrific, underseen firefighter drama “Only the Brave” — to appeal to veterans and neophytes alike, this high-performance follow-up sends Maverick back to the Topgun program, where he won the heart of Charlie (Kelly McGillis) and lost best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards).
Here is a quick look at some of the actors as they arrived at tonight’s event, beginning with Mr. Cruise.
Jennifer Connelly plays Penny Benjamin, a character from Maverick’s past.
Miles Teller plays Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. Two more actors in the film, Jay Ellis and Lewis Pullman.
Glenn Powell and Jon Hamm.
And Greg Tarzan Davis. (With a terrific brooch!)
Most, if not all, are fresh off last night’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
More from this Deadline story.
Tom Cruise was lauded with a surprise Palme d’Or tonight at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere capping off a big day for the 3x Oscar nominee at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film received a five-minute standing ovation from the crowd.
“An incredible evening and an incredible time,” said Cruise to the crowd, “Just to see everyone’s faces. It’s been 36 years since Top Gun and we had to hold this for two years because of the pandemic.”
Mr. Cruise helps the Duchess up the steps at tonight’s event.
The royals spoke with cast members and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, seen on the far left.
Mr. Cruise appeared to handle the introductions.
Another view.
Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Here is a wider angle.
Below, the Duke is chatting with Jennifer Connelly while the Duchess speaks with Miles Teller.
The Duchess shares a laugh with Mr. Cruise.
Then it was time to head inside.
Where there were more people to greet.
Victoria Ward offers more information in this Telegraph story.
The Duke and Duchess revealed they had been playing the Top Gun soundtrack at home with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who they said were jealous not to be at the premiere with their parents.
The Duchess explained: “It is a school night.”
Poppy Saunders, 11 – whose father Cameron Saunders is the acting chairman of The Film and TV Charity – presented the Duchess with a posy.
Linsay Saunders, her mother, said: “She [the Duchess] said the kids loved the film as well and they wished they were here tonight.”
We return to The Telegraph’s story.
Alfie Everett-Fletcher, nine, whose father John is the managing director of Paramount UK, handed a programme to the Duke, who leaned down to chat to him, saying: “This is very exciting.”
Speaking afterwards, Alfie said: “He [the Duke] asked me what I liked about the last film and if I liked planes and jets and motorbikes. He said he was a big fan of the film and cars and stuff.”
Elise Everett, Alfie’s mother, said: “He said they’ve had the theme tune playing at home with the kids. They said the kids were jealous.”
Poppy added: “I was pretty nervous, but it was really exciting.”
“She said she liked sweet peas, which were in the posy,” added Linsay.
The Duke and Duchess as they enter the theater.
It turns out this will be the second time the royals have seen the film—more from People’s story.
The London premiere won’t be the first time Prince William, 39, and Kate, 40, have seen the highly anticipated film. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were reportedly treated to a special screening of the Top Gun sequel at the invitation of Cruise, who had heard William was a fan of the original 1986 movie.
It is shown above as offered online at FWRD (most recently priced at $1888), accompanied by a note reading, “It has been over 6 years since we’ve carried it on our site. It’s unlikely the manufacturer still makes this product.” The style also came in all black, shown below at Neiman Marcus.
I think this is a piece the Duchess has had for some time. It’s possible it was intended for an event canceled during the pandemic.
Like many fashion brands, Roland Mouret was hit hard by the effects of the pandemic, and the company filed for liquidation late last year. Visitors to the Roland Mouret site see this graphic.
But this story’s next chapter is more positive than many fashion labels. We learn more from this December 2021 Forbes story:
Despite designing some of our generation’s most iconic dresses—welcome everywhere from boardrooms to formal events and worn by everyone from the Duchess of Cambridge to Dita Von Teese—his business simply couldn’t outlive the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mouret revealed sales had plunged by 80 per cent earlier this year, following months of lockdowns and cyclical Covid-19 cancellations, saying “we lost 20 years in one day”—and that was just the start.
As the coronavirus raged on, the demand for Mouret’s iconic dresses and formalwear plummeted. By the end of November, the brand fell into administration.
Only, it doesn’t seem to have become a death knell at all.
Instead, Han Chong—the founder contemporary womenswear brand self-portrait—has acquired the Roland Mouret label under the umbrella of his newly-formed ‘SP Collection’.
“I am very honoured to have the chance to take this luxury brand on the next stage of its journey,” says Chong. “As part of SP Collection, Roland Mouret will benefit from the infrastructure and resources necessary to ensure it can flourish in the coming years.
You can visit the SP Collection site here, although there is not yet any merchandise by Roland Mouret.
The Duchess brought back her Wavy Cutout Pumps by Prada.
And the Alexander McQueen Beetle Box Clutch. (The Duchess’s bag does not have the beetle on the clasp.)
She also wore new (to us) earrings, the Tsar Star Studs and Drops (£10,560, about $13200 at today’s exchange rates) by Robinson Pelham. They showcase diamonds in a star motif set in 18ct white gold.
Thank you to Gabi for the earring ID.
Here is one more look at the Cambridges tonight.
VIDEOS:
The Royal Family Channel has more than 3 minutes of coverage from tonight’s premiere.
The Sun offers more than 2 hours of red carpet arrivals.
GMA posted 40 seconds of video.
Prince William and Kate stun on the red carpet at the #TopGunMaverick premiere. https://t.co/t1wpJq7Cqj pic.twitter.com/4fBG3f6eyO
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 19, 2022
