Prince William visited the Mercian Regiment on March 26, which he serves as Colonel-in-Chief.
The Gist
Donning camouflage, the Prince of Wales joked that he might shave his beard into a moustache after being inspired by the facial hair of some of the soldiers.
One person that might be thrilled about the change? Princess Charlotte, whom William said was decidedly not a fan of the beard when it debuted back in 2024.
While at his latest royal engagement,Prince Williamteased a change to his appearance—and it's one that his daughterPrincess Charlottemight be happy about.
On March 26, the Prince of Wales visited the Mercian Regiment—which the future king serves as Colonel-in-Chief—at a military base in Wiltshire, mingling with both soldiers and their families alike. William has sported a beard since 2024, but, after seeming impressed by the moustaches worn by members of the regiment, he hinted that he might follow suit.
PerHello!, William stroked his beard and quipped, "I might end up taking mine off and leaving a 'tache," adding that moustaches were a style "creeping in now." According to the outlet, the British Army relaxed its rules around facial hair in 2024, the same year that William started growing his beard out. Charlotte, then 9 years old, was admittedlynota fan of her dad's new look.
"Well, Charlotte didn't like it the first time," William said of his beard in November 2024. "I got floods of tears the first time I grew a beard, so I had to shave it off, and then I grew it back."
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"I thought, 'Hang on a second,' and I convinced her it was going to be okay,"William added at the time.
The style has stuck around since; prior to his 2024 debut of the beard, William hadn't had one since 2008, when he shaved it off reportedly on the request of his grandmotherQueen Elizabeth, who "requested he remove it to comply with military guidelines," according toHello!. William served over seven years in the British Armed Forces—from 2006 to 2013—and ended his military career as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, perThe Sun.
Okay, so Charlotte isn't a fan of the beard (though maybe she's come around to it by now), but one person who likely is? William's wife,Kate Middleton. According to Jason Knauf, who previously served as a royal aide to the Prince and Princess of Wales and now serves as CEO for William's Earthshot Prize, when it comes to Kate and William's facial hair, "If she didn't like it, it wouldn't be there, I could tell you that."
Speaking to60 Minutes Australiain February 2025, Knauf added of William's beard, "I love it. I think it's great. But I've talked to him about it—or tried to talk to him about it. He's like, 'It's here. I have a beard. No further conversation.'"
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