Prince William Just Sported a New Look That Was Previously Discouraged — and Sparked Tension with Prince Harry

The Prince of Wales, who appeared in a new video with Princess Kate, hasn’t been seen with facial hair since 2008

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.

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.