Kate stuns in purple and Diana earrings as Tom Cruise helps her down stairs at Digger premiere

The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive for the Royal Film Performance and world premiere of Digger, at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, central London. Picture date: Tuesday September 22, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire

Prince William and Kate Middleton were all smiles as they graced the world premiere of Tom Cruise’s new film Digger.

The Duchess of Sussex seen holding hands with Tom Cruise as he helped her down the stairs of the red carpet bash.

Kate wore a purple floor-sweeping Jenny Packham dress accessorised with Diana, Princess of Wales’s earrings and the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace.

A smiling Cruise commented ‘great jacket’ as William walked towards him wearing a tuxedo with a striking double-breasted velvet jacket and bow tiewhich was black for the night.

Wills and Kate were seen laughing with the Top Gun icon, who told reporters before they arrived: I just love them. They are lovely people and I have great respect for them.’

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22/09/2026. London, UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales during the Royal Film Performance??? World premiere of Digger at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, supporting the Film and TV Charity. Their Royal Highnesses were greeted by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant and senior representatives from the Film and TV Charity, before being taken down the red carpet. They then met members of the cast and creative team, including Tom Cruise and filmmaker Alejandro G. I????rritu. The Prince and Princess then entered the cinema where they were greeted by the cinema manager, then introduced to beneficiaries from the Film and TV Charity. Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive for the Royal Film Performance and world premiere of Digger, at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, central London. Picture date: Tuesday September 22, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire

The film was shown at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square theatre, central London, to raise funds for The Film and TV Charity, which works to create healthier and more supportive working environments.

Sir David Beckham, who is friends with the US actor, was among the guests with his sons Romeo and Cruz.

The royal couple attended the UK premiere of Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick in Leicester Square in 2022.

Digger is a satirical black comedy about a powerful oil tycoon who tries to prove he is humanity’s saviour after his company triggers a global environmental disaster.

As Cruise greeted the royal couple alongside the film’s director Alejandro G Inarritu, William mentioned their previous meeting, saying ‘the last time he was in a helmet and flying suit’.

William and Kate briefly paused for pictures with the Beckhams before heading in to the screening.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell in a scene from "Digger." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

It comes as Piers Morgan called for Earl Spencer’s new book about Princess Diana to be pulped in a legal battle over ‘inaccuracies’.

He told The Sun: ‘It should be pulped. It’s a total invention.’

‘This guy is claiming that I did the biggest invasion of royal privacy ever, which ended up with the Mirror Group paying Princess Diana millions of pounds, the biggest payout in history to a member of the Royal Family, and it had nothing to do with me.’

Piers Morgan visits SiriusXM Studios on October 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images)

Earlier today, Earl Spencer issued an apology after wrongly saying Morgan worked at the Daily Mirror in 1993 – he actually joined the staff in 1995.

‘As an historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer. He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error,’ a statement read.

Enterprise News and Pictures 18/9/26 Pic shows: Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer tells the BBC exclusively tonight that he is "telling the truth" about a phone call with King Charles in the days after his sister's death. He claims in a new book the then-Prince of Wales said "we'll forget her soon enough" during an argument over whether Princes William and Harry should walk in Diana's funeral procession. In his first interview since, Earl Spencer said: "I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said." In a strongly worded response, Buckingham Palace said the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss". Reacting to the statement from the Palace, Earl Spencer said: "Well, is he furious? Is he furious or is he embarrassed?" Speaking to the BBC at his Althorp estate, he added: "I've only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life. "I was hyper alert to what he was saying and those are precisely the words that he said and I promise that to you now. Genuinely, that is what he said. I don't hear him saying he didn't say that." Pressed on whether he had evidence to back up the claim, he said he told family and friends at the time what had been said "because it was so monstrous". In response to the Palace disputing his account, Earl Spencer, who shares his first name with the King, said: "They've sort of smudged that one, haven't they? They've said that recollections may vary." When asked which Charles the public was meant to believe, he said: "I'm telling the truth." Buckingham Palace declined to give a response to Earl Spencer's fresh comments. See story...

Morgan said after: ‘Earl Spencer has apologised to me for his defamatory lies published in his new book, Swan Song, published today.
But I am pursuing legal action against him and his publisher Penguin to have the lies removed, and damages paid to the King’s Trust.’

MORE: Diana ‘groped’ by Mohamed al-Fayed – and other bombshells from Earl Spencer’s book

MORE: Prince Harry ‘set to release Diana documentary’ after uncle’s bombshell tell-all

MORE: Piers Morgan doubles down on legal threats to Earl Spencer after his apology

Original source Kate stuns in purple and Diana earrings as Tom Cruise helps her down stairs at Digger premiere

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