Prince William Reveals He's Already Ditched His Off-Duty Beard at Surprise Outing with Kate Middleton

Prince William's surprise summer beard didn't last long.

On Aug. 25, the Prince of Wales, 42, drove to Crathie Kirk church near Balmoral Castle in Scotland with Kate Middleton — and appeared to have shaved his facial hair! Prince William is known to be traditionally clean-shaven and surprised royal watchers when he appeared with a beard in the video he and his wife released on Aug. 11 to congratulate Great Britain on their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

In the latest photos of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William was without a beard — perhaps meaning that the look was just some summer fun. 

​Members of the royal family traditionally retreat from the limelight from late July through August for private vacations, undertaking no public engagements. Two weeks ago, the Prince of Wales sparked conversation when he sported a beard in the video with Princess Kate because it was the first time he had been seen sporting a beard in 16 years.

"From all of us watching at home, congratulations to team GB!" said Princess Kate, 42, in the video clip. Fans were especially encouraged to see the Princess of Wales, who has made just two public appearances this year as she undergoes treatment for cancer.

"Well done on all you've achieved. You've been an inspiration to us all," echoed Prince William, who wore a blue polo emblazoned with Team GB and Olympic rings.

It was a rare return to scruff for William, who last rocked a beard in public in 2008 at age 26 for the royal family's church outing at Sandringham on Christmas Day. 

While Prince William's latest summer stubble wasn't quite so hairy, his proclivity for going clean-shaven may be a habit from his days in the Royal Air Force, where facial hair is forbidden. In contrast, his younger brother Prince Harry has consistently worn a beard for nearly a decade. He first grew it out during a charity trek to the South Pole with Walking with the Wounded in 2013, briefly shaved it off, embraced the trend again in 2015 and has stuck with the look since.

In his 2023 memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex, 39, said that it caused tension with Prince William when Queen Elizabeth gave him permission to have a beard at his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.

Prince Harry wrote that it was "not a small ask" because beards were forbidden in the British Army, and he'd be tying the knot in military uniform. The Queen gave the green light, but Prince Harry wrote that his brother was "bristled" and told him to "shave it off."

When Harry asked why he was bothered by their grandmother's decision, William said, "Because I wasn't allowed to keep my beard," according to Spare.

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"Ah — there it was," Prince Harry wrote in the memoir, which Penguin Random House announced on Aug. 27 will be published in paperback for the first time this fall. 

"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. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he'd been denied," he wrote.

An upcoming return to work may have been the impetus for Prince William to shave off his stubble. Next week, the Prince of Wales is due to resume more frequent public engagements with a visit to a London art gallery display relating to his Homewards campaign. He'll step out for the outing after his kids Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, are back in the classroom to start a new school year.