The royal couple arrived in black‑tie and a floor‑length royal‑purple gown, respectively, drawing cheers from the crowd as they joined director Alejandro González Iñárritu and other guests for the charity‑linked Royal Film Performance supporting the Film & TV Charity.
Kate, Princess of Wales, accessorised her dress with the Queen Mother’s amethyst Sauron necklace and pearl earrings that originally belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, while Prince William waved to onlookers in a classic tuxedo.
Among the other high‑profile attendees were former footballer David Beckham and his sons Cruz and Romeo, who were also photographed with the couple at the event.
Cruise, 64, arrived with a striking new red‑tinged hairstyle, a look he unveiled after undergoing a major prosthetic transformation for his role as eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell. The makeup process, which once took up to six hours, was reportedly streamlined to under an hour through Cruise’s own timing and rehearsal.
“Digger,” described as a satirical black comedy, follows the powerful titular character as he attempts to position himself as humanity’s saviour after a catastrophic disaster he helped cause. The cast includes Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman and Michael Stuhlbarg.
The film marks Cruise’s first collaboration with Iñárritu, a two‑time Oscar‑winning director known for “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” and will be released in cinemas on 2 October 2026.
Cruise previously met the royal pair at the UK premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick” in May 2022, and the two have since exchanged pleasantries at several public events.