Britain's Prince William arrives for the royal premiere of the film "The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey" in central London December 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies] More photos, here

Prince William is joining stars such as Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett on the green carpet in London for the UK premiere of "The Hobbit," the first part of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" prelude.

William's pregnant wife, Kate, is missing from the prince's arm — she cancelled her appearance at the premiere due to acute morning sickness.

Related: Pregnant Kate discharged from London hospital

McKellan, who plays the wizard Gandalf in the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, told reporters Wednesday that it "feels proper" to celebrate the film in London, given that a large part of the cast is British and Tolkien was an English writer.

Blanchett, who plays elf queen Galadriel, said it was great to see so many fans turn out considering the cold weather was "enough to drive anyone away".

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Prince William and wife Kate expecting a baby	'The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey' premieres in Wellington