Britain's royal family love James Bond: There's a few reasons for that
London - There are premieres and there are royal premieres, and Bond is the only movie franchise able to guarantee a blue-blooded red-carpet appearance. Not one but two palace limousines pulled up at the Royal Albert Hall this week to deliver the first and second in line to the throne and their spouses.
It was the Duchess of Cambridge who stole the show with her gold- sequined gown, which lit up like a firework under the explosion of camera flashes. News editors the world over knew they had their banner image and readers would now be forced to scroll down the page to see the otherwise showstopping pink velvet jacket worn by leading man Daniel Craig.
Royals don't make a habit of hitting the red carpet, because they don't see themselves as celebrities. They will, however, use their "convening power" to promote causes they care about.
In this case, Bond is something they want to associate with and promote because of the "Britishness" of the global brand. Prince William is also President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and one of his chosen duties is to promote the best of British moviemaking.
What you might not know is that Prince Charles is patron of the British intelligence services and William shadowed them for three weeks in 2019. The duke described the experience at the time as "truly humbling." He said the agencies were "full of people from everyday backgrounds doing the most extraordinary work to keep us safe," and praised their "unrivaled patriotism and dedication to upholding the values of this country."
William probably realised the Bond movies aren't accurate portrayals of life as a spy. But real-life officers have advised on set so there is a tacit approval of the franchise and how it has helped elevate the profile of the service.
The royals will also appreciate that the premiere had the added benefit of fundraising for charities that support current and former members of the three intelligence agencies: the Secret Intelligence Service (more commonly known as MI6), the Security Service (MI5) and the Government Communications Headquarters (or GCHQ).
So yes, it's the royals' way of shining a light on an otherwise hidden and often underappreciated profession.