The Prince and Princess of Wales’s latest appearance sparked huge excitement from royal fans.
Not only because it marked the first time Kate has been seen since her attendance at Wimbledon last month, but Prince William caused a stir with his bearded look.
The future King, 42, sported a blue Team GB polo top and stubble as he and Kate congratulated the athletes following their triumphs at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
William’s unshaven appearance certainly sparked a flurry of comments on social media, with one fan exclaiming: “William beard era is back.”
Another said: “Great to [see] Catherine again, and William unshaved haha, it’s been years since we’ve seen that, what a sight!”
A third complimented the Prince on his bearded look, saying: “Kate looking beautiful & here for Will’s stubble.”
Others were in agreement, adding: “Love the beard on Prince William,” and “William please keep growing that beard!!”
The Prince, who usually sports a clean-shaven appearance, was last seen with a beard on Christmas Day in 2008.
Rules around facial hair for royals
While the King and the Prince of Wales have both grown out their facial hair in the past, they have stuck to a clean-shaven appearance.
Queen Elizabeth II reportedly asked William to shave off his beard while he was on a military secondment.
William with a beard on Christmas Day 2008
Up until recent months, soldiers were not permitted to grow their facial hair while in the British Army.
The guidelines were relaxed in March and beards and moustaches must be neat, properly groomed and will be routinely checked.
Meanwhile, the Royal Air Force has permitted its personnel to sport facial hair since 2019, while the Royal Navy has allowed beards and moustaches for years.
Prince Harry wrote about asking his grandmother, the late Queen, for permission to keep his beard on his wedding day to Meghan Markle in 2018.
But Harry claimed in his memoir Spare, released in January 2023, that William “bristled” when he explained that keeping his beard made him feel calmer.
“Maybe it was Freudian – beard as security blanket. Maybe it was Jungian – beard as mask. Whatever, it made me calmer, and I wanted to feel as calm as possible on the day of my wedding,” he wrote.
He claims that William told him: “Not the done thing, he said. Military, rules, so forth.”
Harry wrote that his brother “wouldn’t let it go” and that the disagreement continued “in person, on the phone, for more than a week” before William admitted that his grievance with Harry’s facial hair was because he wasn’t allowed to keep his.
