Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@kensingtonroyal
Topics: Prince William, Royal Family
Kya Buller
Prince William appeared in a star-studded video alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, in which they sent on their congratulations to Team GB following their performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics - and William's appearance got everybody talking.
Usually seen with a clean-cut look, he seemed to debut something new in the form of stubbly facial hair.
In the video, Kate said: "From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB."
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William then adds: "Well done on all you've achieved, you've been an inspiration to us all."
But beyond the fanfare and messages of congratulations, people were fixated on William's look - which may have broken protocol.
In Prince Harry's explosive memoir, Spare, which was released in 2023, he opened up about tensions with his brother regarding rules surrounding having facial hair.
He wrote: "I now dared to make another ask – "Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard?"
"Not a small ask either. A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army."
It seems William took offence to having to shave his face, while Harry got away with having a beard.
He went on to add in an ITV interview: "I think William found it hard that other people told him to shave it off, and yet here I was on my wedding day wearing military uniform, no longer in the military, but thinking as though I – believing as though I should shave it off before my wedding day.
"And I said, “Well I don’t believe that Meghan’s gonna recognise me if she comes up the aisle and sees me beardless”. I would feel very, very different without my beard, and that’s hard for people to understand who’ve never grown a beard, um, but hopefully those beard people out there will go “Yeah, no, I fully get that, I can understand”."
It seems William may now be embracing a beard now following the passing of the Queen.
Grazia reports that "Queen Elizabeth II was never a fan of facial hair and ordered her husband to shave the beard he grew during a solo tour around the Commonwealth in 1965."
In that case, maybe King Charles doesn't mind it as much - so William is free to experiment with his look.
It seems like it's working out for William, with people all over social media loving the new look.
One person wrote: "William with a tan and a beard!!!!" as another added: "You both look amazing!!!!! Love the scruff W!!! Catherine you look stunning!!"
A third said: "Just putting it out there that I love a man with stubble and Prince William is rocking it!"