Prince William is experimenting with a new look this summer, one that has been at the center of a hairy situation before.
Kate Middleton and Prince William, both 42, popped up in a surprise video on Aug. 11 in which they joined a slew of celebrities in celebrating team Great Britain as the 2024 Paris Olympics wrapped.
The appearance, which came amid the Prince and Princess of Wales’ summer break away from royal duties, marked a rare spotting of Kate amid her cancer treatment.
It also made waves for another reason: William sporting a beard for the first time in public since 2008.
Well done @TeamGB, what an incredible journey!
Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart and passion. You made us all so proud!
Here’s to celebrating every triumph at @Paris2024 and looking forward to more from @ParalympicsGB later in the summer 🇬🇧🥇 pic.twitter.com/oCLz7HuuLG
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) August 11, 2024
The Prince of Wales typically remains clean-shaven, perhaps in part due to his time in the Royal Air Force, where facial hair is forbidden. He did rock a surprising beard when he joined the royal family for their traditional Christmas Day church outing in 2008, but the look didn’t last.
Prince Harry, however, has pretty consistently worn a beard for years. He first grew it out during a 2013 charity trek to the South Pole with Walking with the Wounded, and despite shaving after, he went back to the facial hair in 2015.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, said his beard caused tension with his older brother ahead of his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle. In his memoir, Spare, Harry recalled asking their grandmother Queen Elizabeth for permission to keep his scruff for the nuptials, something he said was “not a small ask” as beards were forbidden in the British Army and he’d be tying the knot in an armed forces uniform. Prince Harry said that his beard acted as a “security blanket” — and that his wife-to-be had never seen him without one.
“I didn’t want her coming down the aisle and seeing a total stranger,” he said in the book.
Queen Elizabeth allowed it, but Prince Harry said Prince William was “bristled” when he found out, telling his younger brother to “shave it off.”
When Harry asked his sibling why he was bothered by their grandmother’s decision, William said, “Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard,” according to Spare.
“Ah — there it was,” Prince Harry wrote. “After he’s come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he’d been denied.”
King Charles and Prince Philip were other royal men who were typically clean-shaven but had experimented with facial hair occasionally.
When the late Duke of Edinburgh grew out his beard during a 1965 solo tour aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia on a voyage around the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth took the chance to play a prank on her husband.
Robert Hardman said in his book Queen of the World, “Knowing that he had grown a beard on his travels, the Queen had arranged for everyone in the royal entourage — herself included — to put on fake whiskers just before the Duke walked in.”
Ahead of the closing ceremonies in Paris for the Olympic Games, Prince William and Princess Kate released a video dedicated to Team Great Britain.
“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB!” the Princess of Wales, wearing a casual white shirt with black stripes, said in the clip.
The Prince of Wales chimed in, “Well done on all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”
Other celebrities featured in the video included Snoop Dogg, David Beckham and more.
In addition to appearances by many European royals at the Olympic Games, Prince William’s aunt Princess Anne has been representing the British royal family in Paris. King Charles’ sister, who celebrates her 74th birthday this week, became the first member of the British royal family to participate in the Olympics when she competed in horseback riding events in 1976. She’s remained closely connected to the international competition since, including as a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1988.
