On Monday, Prince William captured attention with a notable change in his appearance. He appeared on Instagram with his wife, the Princess of Wales, to congratulate Team GB for their achievements at the Paris Olympics.
It took fans no time to notice the significant difference in Prince William’s look—he was sporting a beard, a departure from his usual clean-shaven style.
It’s been years since the royal father of three was last seen with facial hair in public. However, he isn’t the first Prince of Wales to sport a beard. In fact, William’s new look may be reminiscent of a bearded phase his father, King Charles, went through in his younger years. The resemblance is striking.
Back in April 1976, the then-Prince Charles appeared at the Badminton Horse Trials with what was known as a “naval beard”—a style permitted by the Royal Navy that features a full beard and mustache connected along the jawline. Charles, who had qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974 and served with 845 Naval Air Squadron, sported this beard along with a dark mop of hair under a tweed flat cap. Later that day, after riding on horseback, he was seen in a smart double-breasted coat that complemented his new look.
Since then, King Charles has maintained a clean-shaven appearance, similar to his eldest son, who has only occasionally deviated from this style.
Notably, Prince William grew a beard for the Christmas Day Church Service at St Mary’s Church on the Sandringham estate in 2008 but generally opts for a clean-shaven look for public appearances.
