Prince William, Prince Harry and More Royals With and Without Facial Hair — Which Look Reigns?

Mar. 15, 2025

(Left) Prince William at the Sovereign’s Parade at RAF College in Cranwell on Sept. 12, 2024; (Right) Prince William at Royal Ascot on June 19, 2024.Photo:Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty;Samir Hussein/WireImage

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty;Samir Hussein/WireImage

IsPrince William’s facial hair here to stay?The Prince of Wales, 42,shocked royal watcherswhen he appeared with facial hair for the first time in 15 years in a video issued on Aug. 11 with his wife,Kate Middleton. Prince William waslast seenwearing a beard at Christmas in 2008 andseems to be stickingwith the new look, inspiring a rundown of which royal men sport some scruff.

IsPrince William’s facial hair here to stay?

The Prince of Wales, 42,shocked royal watcherswhen he appeared with facial hair for the first time in 15 years in a video issued on Aug. 11 with his wife,Kate Middleton. Prince William waslast seenwearing a beard at Christmas in 2008 andseems to be stickingwith the new look, inspiring a rundown of which royal men sport some scruff.

01of 15Prince William(Left) Prince William driving to church at Crathie Kirk in Scotland on Aug. 25, 2024. (Right) Prince William appearing in a video congratulating Team Great Britain on their performance at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 11, 2024.TheImageDirect.com; The Prince and Princess of Wales/X.comThe Prince of Wales got the internet talking when he appeared with a beard in an Aug. 11 video congratulating Team Great Britain on their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Princess Kate. The prince was previously known to go clean-shaven in his public role, and facial hair was forbidden when he was in the Royal Air Force — though the British Army dropped the beard ban earlier this year!It was a rare social media appearance for Princess Kate amid hercancer treatment(she later announced on Sept. 9 that shecompleted chemotherapy), and Prince William had some summer stubble in the upbeat clip.William waswithout the beardwhen he drove to church with his wife near Balmoral Castle on Aug. 25, but once more rockedsome stubblein London on Sept. 5, informally resuming public engagements after the summer holidays.The Prince of Wales has stuck with the scruff since, wearing a beard at outings inSouth Wales,RAF College CranwellandHomewards Aberdeenin Scotland.

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Prince William

(Left) Prince William driving to church at Crathie Kirk in Scotland on Aug. 25, 2024. (Right) Prince William appearing in a video congratulating Team Great Britain on their performance at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 11, 2024.TheImageDirect.com; The Prince and Princess of Wales/X.com

TheImageDirect.com; The Prince and Princess of Wales/X.com

The Prince of Wales got the internet talking when he appeared with a beard in an Aug. 11 video congratulating Team Great Britain on their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Princess Kate. The prince was previously known to go clean-shaven in his public role, and facial hair was forbidden when he was in the Royal Air Force — though the British Army dropped the beard ban earlier this year!

It was a rare social media appearance for Princess Kate amid hercancer treatment(she later announced on Sept. 9 that shecompleted chemotherapy), and Prince William had some summer stubble in the upbeat clip.

William waswithout the beardwhen he drove to church with his wife near Balmoral Castle on Aug. 25, but once more rockedsome stubblein London on Sept. 5, informally resuming public engagements after the summer holidays.

The Prince of Wales has stuck with the scruff since, wearing a beard at outings inSouth Wales,RAF College CranwellandHomewards Aberdeenin Scotland.

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Prince Harry

Prince Harry.Getty (2)

Prince Hairy, perhaps? His red hair has always been his trademark, butPrince Harryhas had a beard since 2013 when he completed a charity trek to the South Pole with Walking With The Wounded.

Despite shaving shortly after, Harry went back and has been sporting the facial hair for years since, including his May 2018 royal wedding toMeghan Markle.

In his bestselling memoirSpare, published in 2023, the Duke of Sussex wrote that itcaused tensionwith William whenQueen Elizabethgave him permission to wear a beard (then banned in the British Army) when he got married in military uniform.

“Ah — there it was,” Prince Harry wrote.

03of 15King CharlesPrince Charles.Getty (2)William and Harry’s dad has also grown out his beard for short stints. If you ask us, the beard look gives a strong resemblance to his younger son!

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King Charles

Prince Charles.Getty (2)

William and Harry’s dad has also grown out his beard for short stints. If you ask us, the beard look gives a strong resemblance to his younger son!

04of 15Prince PhilipPrince Philip.Getty; APPrince Philipalways looked like a gentleman with a clean-shaven face, but he grew out his beard during a solo tour aboard the Royal YachtBritanniaon a voyage around the Commonwealth in 1965. The opportunity was perfect forQueen Elizabethto play a prank on her husband.“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,” Robert Hardman said his bookQueen of the World.

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Prince Philip

Prince Philip.Getty; AP

Prince Philipalways looked like a gentleman with a clean-shaven face, but he grew out his beard during a solo tour aboard the Royal YachtBritanniaon a voyage around the Commonwealth in 1965. The opportunity was perfect forQueen Elizabethto play a prank on her husband.

“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,” Robert Hardman said his bookQueen of the World.

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Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

Prince Carl Philip.Getty(2)

06of 15Prince Haakon of NorwayPrince Haakon.Getty(2)Prince Haakon’s beard is his go-to look, but he’s not opposed to some change. At a gala dinner in honor of parents King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 80th birthdays in 2017, he arrived with a beard and left without one! Photographer Heiko Junge toldHello!magazinethat the royal had shaved “as part of the entertainment during the gala dinner.”

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Prince Haakon of Norway

Prince Haakon.Getty(2)

Prince Haakon’s beard is his go-to look, but he’s not opposed to some change. At a gala dinner in honor of parents King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 80th birthdays in 2017, he arrived with a beard and left without one! Photographer Heiko Junge toldHello!magazinethat the royal had shaved “as part of the entertainment during the gala dinner.”

07of 15King Felipe of SpainKing Felipe.Getty(2)Spain’s king has been sporting a beard for years, even embracing it has he goes grey.

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King Felipe of Spain

King Felipe.Getty(2)

Spain’s king has been sporting a beard for years, even embracing it has he goes grey.

08of 15King Willem-Alexander of the NetherlandsKing Willem-Alexander.Getty (2)The Netherlands' monarch started growing out his facial hair in 2017, and he must have liked the results: he stills rocks a beard!

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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander.Getty (2)

The Netherlands' monarch started growing out his facial hair in 2017, and he must have liked the results: he stills rocks a beard!

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James Middleton

James Middleton.Getty(2)

10of 15Mike TindallMike Tindall.Getty (2)Zara Tindall’s husband has gone back and forth with a beard — luckily, he looks great either way.

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Mike Tindall

Mike Tindall.Getty (2)

Zara Tindall’s husband has gone back and forth with a beard — luckily, he looks great either way.

11of 15Pierre CasiraghiPierre Casiraghi.Getty(2)The grandson of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco looks dapper whether he’s clean-shaven or sporting a beard (like he did while sailing across the Atlantic with Greta Thunberg).

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Pierre Casiraghi

Pierre Casiraghi.Getty(2)

The grandson of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco looks dapper whether he’s clean-shaven or sporting a beard (like he did while sailing across the Atlantic with Greta Thunberg).

12of 15Andrea CasiraghiAndrea Casiraghi.Getty(2)Another Casiraghi brother has also tried out a beard, looking dapper with or without.

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Andrea Casiraghi

Andrea Casiraghi.Getty(2)

Another Casiraghi brother has also tried out a beard, looking dapper with or without.

13of 15Prince Felix of LuxembourgPrince Felix of Luxembourg.Getty(2)The second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa was sporting scruff for his 2013 civil ceremony … but went beardless for the official wedding a few days later.

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Prince Felix of Luxembourg

Prince Felix of Luxembourg.Getty(2)

The second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa was sporting scruff for his 2013 civil ceremony … but went beardless for the official wedding a few days later.

14of 15King Frederik of DenmarkPrince Frederik.Getty(2)The King of Denmark also rocks a salt and pepper beard, but we can get behind his fresh face look too.

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King Frederik of Denmark

Prince Frederik.Getty(2)

The King of Denmark also rocks a salt and pepper beard, but we can get behind his fresh face look too.

15of 15Prince Albert of MonacoPrince Albert.Getty(2)Usually clean-shaven, Prince Albert once experimented with a mustache in the style of his father Prince Rainier.

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Prince Albert of Monaco

Prince Albert.Getty(2)

Usually clean-shaven, Prince Albert once experimented with a mustache in the style of his father Prince Rainier.

source: people.com