"Let's sit down, quickly." The incredibly awkward moment we all missed at the BAFTAs.

It’s not clear, but we suspect – well, hope – that a London sound guy just had a crap night at work. That maybe he forgot to play the track marked ‘Prince William and Kate Middleton entrance music’.

Because the alternative is that someone decided it would be completely fine for the Royals to enter the BAFTAs in complete silence. Pin-drop, high-heel clacking kind of silence.

The poor Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thought they were going to enjoy a fun night out at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, but instead were forced to make the rather long walk from the door to their front-row seats at the 72nd annual award ceremony, as the entire auditorium stood and watched in excruciating silence.

Led by British Academy of Film and Television CEO Amanda Berry, the couple tiptoed down the stairs to the sound of literally nothing but camera shutters.

“It’s so quiet,” the Duchess could be heard saying.

“Let’s sit down, quickly,” her husband replied.

He even turned to the people seated nearby: “Quiet room,” he quipped, quietly.

Kayne’s 2009 “Taylor, I’ma let you finish” speech aside, it might just have been the most cringe-worthy award-ceremony moment we’ve ever clapped eyes on. Which is why we’ve watched it precisely 17 times this morning.

The Duke, who is the president of the Academy, was at the prestigious event to present its top honour, a BAFTA Fellowship, to film editor Thelma Schoonmaker. The woman behind some of Martin Scorcese's best work.

A number of Aussies also took home awards courtesy of their work on Outstanding British Film winner, The Favourite. Among them, production designer Fiona Crombie who accepted her BAFTA alongside co-designer Alice Felton, and Tony McNamara, who shared the award for original screenplay with co-writer Deborah Davis.

Sadly, Margot Robbie missed out on the Supporting Actress gong for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots.