Prince William's Beloved Bearded Look Didn't Sit Right With Princess Charlotte

From his tumultuous relationship with his brother to how he is handling Catherine, Princess of Wales' health, all eyes have been on William, Prince of Wales. When the future king revealed his growing beard in 2024, he received backlash from an unlikely source: his daughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales. And the 9-year-old princess was not subtle about her hatred for her father's facial hair. "Charlotte didn't like it the first time," Prince William said in November 2024 while at an event for the Earthshot Prize (via Us Weekly). "I got floods of tears, so I [had] to shave it off. And then I grew it back. I thought, 'Hang on a second,' and I convinced her it was going to be okay." William clarified that the beard was not a visible representation of a laid-back attitude. He later said, "It's probably been the hardest year in my life." 

It's not surprising that Charlotte made sure her father knew of her disapproval. In 2018, a source close to the royal family said to Us Weekly, "[Charlotte is] definitely the biggest character of the three children at the moment." And the young princess has never been shy about sharing her thoughts, like the many times she's showed off her attitude and corrected her brothers' behavior in public.

Rumors have been circulating that William's beard is more than just a fashion statement, and may be part of an attempt to make William appear more put together. According to an insider for InTouch, "He's been on a bit of a self-improvement kick lately. With Kate doing so much better health-wise, he's had a little more time to focus on things like fitness and his overall appearance. ... You can see how smart he looks these days and that's very intentional."

While Princess Charlotte of Wales may not be a fan of her father's beard, lots of people around the world are! In fact, many took to social media after William, Prince of Wales debuted his beard to show their approval. When William appeared with his wife in an August 2024 social media video, he stole focus — viewers were taken with his look and couldn't hide their excitement. One X (formerly Twitter) user commented, "Pardon me ladies ... I need to cool down. Prince William looks so handsome with a bit of facial stubble." Fans may have had a similar reaction when the prince posed with David Beckham in October 2024, leaving the public to compare and contrast the Brits' beards.

Having to shave his beard after Charlotte's initial dislike was likely a flashback for William, who was forced to remove his facial hair for his 2011 wedding to Catherine, Princess of Wales. His brother, Prince Harry, shared this detail in his memoir, "Spare." According to Harry, William demanded his brother shave his beard for his wedding to Meghan Markle, but Harry refused as he had received approval from the Queen. 

When asked why Harry's facial hair was such a thorn in his side, William replied, "Because I wasn't allowed to keep my beard" (via People). Prince Harry continued, "After he's come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he'd been denied." Who knows what Harry thinks of William's revamped bearded look.