After the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Prince William and Kate Middleton surprised the world with a video message in support of the British athletes competing. But what really got people talking was William’s subtle new look – he was sporting a bit of stubble. This small change in appearance quickly went viral, not just because it was so different from his usual clean-shaven style, but because of what it has to do with royal protocol and his feud with Prince Harry .
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Beards, it seems, have caused some tension between the royal brothers in the past. William has typically kept his face clean-shaven, a habit stemming from his time in the Royal Air Force, where facial hair is not allowed. He briefly had beard in 2008 while joining the royal family for their Christmas Day church service, but it never made a reappearance until this summer — a move some insiders think is a strategic one.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has been sporting a beard since 2015 and was even allowed have a beard for his wedding to Meghan Markle, thanks to special permission from Queen Elizabeth. In his memoir, Spare , Harry discussed how keeping his facial hair for the wedding was “not a small ask,” particularly since he was wearing a British armed forces uniform, which traditionally forbids beards. “I didn’t want her [Meghan Markle] coming down the aisle and seeing a total stranger,” Harry wrote. Although the Queen approved, William reportedly “bristled” when he found out, insisting Harry “shave it off” because William himself wasn’t allowed to keep his beard.
“Ah — there it was,” Harry noted. “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.” Harry, who has been busy in New York and might be indulging his own rebellious side , hasn’t said anything about William’s current facial hair situation.
An insider revealed that “William really loves how he looks with a beard, he always has. He’d have been wearing one for years now if it weren’t for royal protocol.” “It might sound silly, but [Prince] Harry wasn’t lying in his memoir when he wrote that he and William fought about his wedding day beard,” the insider said, per OK! Magazine.
It seems like William didn’t feel like it was fair that he had to follow strict guidelines while his younger brother had to get special permission for one, which “did aggravate William since he’s always followed royal protocol out of respect for the Queen.”
Historically, beards are something of a rarity in the British royal family, with a couple exceptions. King George V and Prince Michael of Kent have been known for theirs in the past. King George V reigned from 1910 to 1936 and was renowned for his full beard, a look that was popular with men at the time. Meanwhile, Prince Michael of Kent, born in 1942, has maintained his signature beard for decades.
Click here to see a complete timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s feud with the royal family.
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