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

Prince William

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 her cancer treatment (she later announced on Sept. 9 that she completed chemotherapy), and Prince William had some summer stubble in the upbeat clip.

William was without the beard when he drove to church with his wife near Balmoral Castle on Aug. 25, but once more rocked some stubble in 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 in South Wales, RAF College Cranwell and Homewards Aberdeen in Scotland.

Prince Harry

Prince Hairy, perhaps? His red hair has always been his trademark, but Prince Harry has 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 to Meghan Markle.

In his bestselling memoir Spare, published in 2023, the Duke of Sussex wrote that it caused tension with William when Queen Elizabeth gave him permission to wear a beard (then banned in the British Army) when he got married in military uniform.

When Harry asked his brother why he was bothered by their grandmother’s decision, William said, “Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard,” according to Spare.

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

King Charles

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!

Prince Philip

Prince Philip always looked like a gentleman with a clean-shaven face, but he grew out his beard during a solo tour aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia on a voyage around the Commonwealth in 1965. The opportunity was perfect for Queen Elizabeth to 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 book Queen of the World.

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

The son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia has rocked a beard for years, including at his royal wedding to Princess Sofia in June 2015. But behind his facial hair is a cute baby face!

Prince Haakon of Norway

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 told Hello! magazine that the royal had shaved “as part of the entertainment during the gala dinner.”

King Felipe of Spain

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

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

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

James Middleton

Kate Middleton’s younger brother had been growing out his facial hair for so long that he realized his now-wife Alizée Thevenet  had never seen him without a beard. He decided to surprise her in 2020 by shaving! A kiss confirmed she was a fan of the makeover.

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

Pierre Casiraghi

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).

Andrea Casiraghi

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

Prince Felix of Luxembourg

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.

King Frederik of Denmark

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

Prince Albert of Monaco

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