Why Prince Harry Was Allowed to Keep His Beard, But Prince William Wasn't

On August 11, Prince William appeared alongside his wife, Princess Kate, in a new Instagram video celebrating the 2024 Paris Olympics. While fans were excited to see Kate Middleton wearing a new eternity ring in the video, many onlookers started thirsting over Prince William's new beard. If you've ever wondered why Prince William doesn't sport a beard on a regular basis, it seems Prince Harry has the answer.

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry discussed his decision to seek permission from Queen Elizabeth to be allowed to keep his beard. "After all the stress of asking Granny for permission to marry Meg[han Markle], I thought I'd never have the courage to ask her for anything else," he wrote (via the Express). "And yet I now dared to make another ask—Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard?"

According to Harry, his request was actually pretty serious, and he seemingly expected his grandmother to turn him down. "Not a small ask either," Harry wrote. "A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army."

While Harry should've been delighted that the Queen agreed to his request, his brother allegedly made the situation more difficult. According to Harry, William was "livid" that his brother had made a request about his beard to the Queen. Harry wrote, "You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes." And that's not all. The strange argument over Harry's beard reportedly continued for the next week as William "wouldn't let it go."

Per the Duke of Sussex's memoir, William allegedly ordered him to shave his beard off ahead of his wedding to Meghan Markle. As for why, William reportedly told his brother, "Because I wasn't allowed to keep my beard."

The Prince of Wales has rarely been spotted with a beard, making his appearance in the new Olympics video all the more shocking. According to Harry, William was bitter that he hadn't been given the same privilege as his little brother. "After he'd 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," Harry explained. "He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he'd been denied."

As the heir to the throne, Prince William has always had a very strict career path. As a result, he has to abide by certain rules, and doesn't have as many freedoms as his little brother, Prince Harry. Still, the public's reaction to Prince William's new beard certainly suggests the world would welcome a bearded king with open arms.