Tom Cruise’s Two-Word Message to Prince William Revealed at the Digger Premiere

Tom Cruise had a simple message for Prince William when the two reunited at the London premiere of Digger — and the actor’s two-word compliment was aimed directly at the royal’s evening look.

Cruise greeted William and Princess Kate at the star-studded event on Tuesday night, where the Prince and Princess of Wales attended in support of the Film and TV Charity.

Tom Cruise compliments William’s jacket

William arrived wearing a tuxedo with a double-breasted jacket and bow tie, while Kate made a glamorous entrance in a purple Jenny Packham gown.

Cruise immediately noticed William’s outfit.

“Great jacket,” the actor told the Prince as they met at the premiere.

He then greeted Kate with a kiss on the cheek. The Princess paired her Jenny Packham gown with the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace, a piece that was also worn by Queen Camilla at the 2012 Skyfall premiere.

Cruise had already spoken warmly about the royal couple before they arrived at Leicester Square.

“I just love them. They are lovely people, and I have great respect for them,” he told reporters.

Why William and Kate attended

The royal couple were at the Digger premiere in support of the Film and TV Charity, which provides mental health and financial assistance to people working in the entertainment industry.

The film’s London premiere was selected as the official Royal Film Performance, helping raise funds for the charity.

Cruise also used the event to thank William and Kate publicly when the cast took to the stage inside the cinema.

“We want to thank the Royal Highnesses for supporting this event, and just to tell them that we love them and we really appreciate what they do for the arts, for this country and for the world,” he said.

William and Tom Cruise’s long-standing connection

The latest reunion comes after several years of friendly encounters between the actor and the Prince.

William and Kate previously supported Cruise at the 2022 premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, a film William has openly praised.

Speaking at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, the Prince admitted that he was “a little biased to a particular person” before singling out Top Gun: Maverick as one of the most impressive films he had watched in a long time.

“Highest-grossing, so serious about how he takes the action scenes. How it doesn’t win anything, ever? That’s what I care about,” William said.

He went on to praise the film’s commercial success and its approach to action, saying it deserved recognition.

“For me and watching with my children, they absolutely adore it,” William added. “As much as they love the sort of arty ones… they like the stunts and [Tom] takes it so seriously and he cares about cinema.”

Cruise has also supported William’s charitable work

Their connection has extended beyond film premieres.

In 2024, Cruise supported London’s Air Ambulance Charity, of which William is a patron, by attending a fundraising gala.

William acknowledged Cruise during his speech, describing him as a fellow pilot and thanking him for his support.

“Tom, huge thanks for supporting us tonight,” William said, before jokingly asking the actor not to borrow either of the charity’s new helicopters for the next Mission: Impossible film.

The Prince referred to Cruise’s famous on-screen stunts and joked that the actor appeared to have “a different take on normal wear and tear to the rest of us.”

Their latest meeting at the Digger premiere therefore brought together two familiar faces with a shared connection to film, aviation and charitable causes — with Cruise’s brief “Great jacket” compliment providing one of the evening’s lighter moments.