Some people believe that a moustache makes the man, while others prefer the subtlety of a stubble, a sleek goatee or a well-groomed full beard. But whatever style you prefer, one thing is clear: facial hair is in.
Studies have often shown that women are more attracted to men with beards because they can accentuate positive traits, are considered more masculine, and can even be signs of maturity.
So when Prince William stepped out today, sporting his gorgeous new hair for the first time in over a decade, it’s no surprise fans’ hearts were racing.
But the Prince of Wales isn’t the only royal to dabble in the fine art of facial hair.
Prince Harry is perhaps best known for his red hair, as he has sported it for so long that it is quite difficult to imagine him clean-shaven.
But which brother takes it better?
Prince William (pictured with his new beard) during a visit to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, to see Homelessness: Reframed
Prince Harry is perhaps best known for his red hair, as he has sported it for so long that it’s quite difficult to imagine him clean-shaven (pictured here in 2015).
Both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex sport facial hair, but who wears a beard better?
The strapping royal, 42, today visited the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, for his first post-summer engagement.
On “X”, formerly known as Twitter, one person said: “William has his beard back and has never looked better. Hopefully he doesn’t use the razor this time… because this makeover is spectacular.”
While another added: “What are my eyes seeing? Prince William is back and he’s got a new dad beard look and I’m loving this era.”
Meanwhile, King Charles sported an impressive beard on occasion during his younger years, including in 1976. And his brother, Prince Andrew, sported a thick stubble beard in 1983.
Speaking to ITV about his memoir Spare, Harry said his stubble “felt like a shield” against his anxiety.
He even claimed in his memoir that his facial hair caused a fight with his brother before he married Meghan Markle in 2018.
The Duke of Sussex claimed William was left “furious” when his grandmother Queen Elizabeth gave Harry permission to keep his beard for the wedding.
‘Some people thought that having a beard was a clear violation of protocol and long-established norms, especially since I was getting married in my army uniform,’ Harry explains in the book.
‘Beards were banned in the British Army.’
George V wore a beard in uniform… and at the altar, as Prince Harry explains in his memoirs
A bearded Prince William at Sandringham in 2008, shortly after completing his Special Forces training.
Prince Charles sporting a beard at the badminton equestrian events in 1976
Prince Andrew sports a short-lived beard as he attends the Chester Horse Races on May 10, 1983
In his memoirs, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author JR Moehringer, Harry says he felt moved to ask his grandmother, the late Queen, for permission in person, explaining that his beard made him feel calmer.
“Yes, he said, you can keep the beard,” Harry writes. “But then I explained it to my brother and he… bristled?”
“It’s not the right thing to do,” he said. “It’s military regulations and things like that.”
Harry says he gave his older brother “a quick history lesson” with the help of Google, showing William images of royal ancestors who had beards and uniforms, such as Edward VII and George V.
