Prince William had always been clean-shaven until November last year – when he appeared with a beard for the first time, it caused an absolute frenzy.
Though his wife Princess Kate is usually the one to bring about a trending hairstyle, the Prince of Wales is the one doing the influencing at the moment, and he’s finally explained why he made the change.
After the VE Day Service of Thanksgiving on Thursday, Prince William and Princess Kate joined other members of the royal family, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as they spoke to some veterans and their families.
Gillian Walklate, the daughter of Dorothy Smith, who served as a Wren with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth spoke about her conversation with the Prince of Wales, noting: “The prince was saying his neck order kept banging on his chin and he joked that’s why he had grown a beard.”
© Getty ImagesShe added: “He was so friendly and just so easy to speak to.”
Prince William may have taken a jesting tone, but we wouldn’t be surprised if there is a practical reasoning behind his brand new facial hair!
Prince William’s major influencer moment
Ever since Prince Harry’s brother debuted the beard, stubble has skyrocketed in popularity, including celebrities such as David Beckham and Jared Leto, but also reaching the wider public and other influencers.
Some might even say that this could be the Prince of Wales’ first significant trend-setting style moment.
© Samir Hussein/WireImagePaul Windle of Windle London Salon in Covent Garden has seen the change in men’s facial hair first-hand ever since Prince William took on the style.
He explains: “Prince William’s short beard gives the appearance of grooming effort as opposed to stubble where it just looks like the person didn’t have time to shave!”
© InstagramPaul also noted: “Furthermore, it looks well groomed, masculine and emphasises the jaw line. A strong jaw line always looks good on men. A short-groomed beard can really help emphasise both masculinity and the jaw; in many ways the two go together.”
The hair professional concluded: “Also, as men age, the jaw line can become less prominent so a short well-groomed beard can really help.”
See a breakdown of iconic celebrity hair transformations below…
