We don’t know if it’s dapper Prince William taking cue from the dashing George Clooney or vice versa, but the salt and pepper beard on men seems to be enjoying a mini moment among the rich and the famous. The Prince of Wales, 42, appears for the time being, pretty set on a bearded look for the Summer, which he debuted to the public not too far back.
And now in a first, there’s a candid (but guarded, as goes the protocol!) reaction from the only authority that matters — his wife, the Princess of Wales. As per a People report, we finally have a reaction to the beard, from the Princess herself, overheard during a St. Patrick’s Day excursion. Kate, 43, made an official royal visit to the Wellington Barracks in London to celebrate the holiday with the Irish Guards, also meeting senior officers in addition to surveying their troops during the annual parade. Over a Guinness pint toast at the sergeants’ mess, Kate, over an exchange with section commanders, was heard saying, “These trends come and go. I was saying to my husband, I’m not sure how long he’s going to keep his for” — well, Kate may not hate it but she sure doesn’t seem to be swooning over it. And guess who agreed with her the first instance? Well, of course her daughter, Princess Charlotte!
Prince William himself recounted this anecdote, during a November 2024 interview amid a royal Cape Town visit: “Well, Charlotte didn’t like it the first time. I got floods of tears, the first one I got tears, so I had to shave it off”. But he managed to convince her in a bit: “I thought, ‘Hang on a second’. And I convinced her it was going to be okay”, he had shared.
Incidentally, this isn’t the first time William has attempted a bearded look. He had momentarily sported one during the Christmas holidays in 2008, though that dabble didn’t last very wrong.
It is also worth mentioning that, unlike him, his brother Prince Harry, 40, is largely identified with his red beard, which he has sported rather consistently over the years. As a matter of fact, the Duke of Sussex had rather controversially sought permission from his grandmother, the Queen, to sport it with his military uniform as he married Meghan Markle in 2018.
Coming back to William, for those worried Kate and he may be sparring over the sudden beard, former royal aide to the Prince and Princess of Wales, Jason Kanuf, during a February 2025 interview with 60 Minutes Australia, has quipped, “If she didn’t like it, it wouldn’t be there. I could tell you that”.
We don’t know what’s got Kate’s goat with the beard, but the internet is high-key THIRSTING after the Prince of Wales. Comments shooting their shot read: “The beard looks so good on him girl wdym? 😭”, “He looks great with or without it. He’s such a congenial and charming guy” and “We love the beard🔥” to quote a few.
So yay or nay on the OG royal heir’s beard?