Flying solo!

Prince William** arrived dateless to the U.K. premiere of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Dec. 12, as pregnant wife Kate Middleton recovered at Nottingham Cottage from a second bout of extreme morning sickness.

Sporting a classic black tux and a big grin, the 30-year-old Duke of Cambridge walked the green carpet at Leicester Square along with stars including Cate Blanchett (who braved the freezing temperatures in a backless dress!) and Sir Ian McKellen.

The prince's wife was supposed to attend the royal premiere with him but had to bow out at the last minute due to her hyperemesis gravidarum.

"The Duchess of Cambridge will not attend The Hobbit premiere tomorrow evening and will continue to rest privately," a St. James's Palace rep told Us Weekly on Dec. 11, one day before the event. However, "the Duke of Cambridge will attend as planned."

This is not the first engagement the pregnant royal has had to miss recently. After being hospitalized at King Edward VII on Dec. 3, Middleton was forced to cancel appearances at the ICAP Charity Day on Dec. 5, the Winter Whites Gala on Dec. 8, and the British Military Tournament at Earl's Court, London, on Dec. 9. Then on Sunday, the Palace told Us that she had fallen ill again. Although no further hospitalization was needed, her husband canceled an appearance of his own to be by her side at their Kensington Palace home.

Just one night before the Duchess' second bout of morning sickness, however, the prince went solo to the Winter Whites Gala, where he commented on his absent wife's condition. "I don't know why they call it morning sickness -- they should call it all day and all night sickness," he joked. "[Recovery is] a long old process but she is getting there. She feels like it is going to go on forever."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Prince William Attends Royal Hobbit Premiere Without Pregnant Kate Middleton