The beard is back.
Prince William returned to royal duties with a new look after enjoying a quiet summer with Kate Middleton and their three children.
On Thursday, the Prince of Wales attended the “Homelessness: Reframed” exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery in London. The presentation was created with the Eleven Eleven Foundation and the royal’s Homewards campaign, which aims to end homelessness in the U.K.
Prince William, Prince of Wales attends the “Homelessness: Reframed” exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery on September 5, 2024, in London, England. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
For the occasion, the 42-year-old stepped out with what has been described as “summer stubble.” While the father of three is known to go clean-shaven, he sported a beard for the first time in eight years on Aug. 11 when he and his wife congratulated Team Great Britain for their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The facial hair was gone when the heir to the British throne was spotted driving to Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Aug. 25.
The Prince and Princess of Wales enjoyed a summer break from late July through August. They were at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved Scottish estate alongside their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Prince William met with artists behind the newly commissioned works for the exhibition, as well as individuals whose personal experiences have served as inspiration for some of the pieces. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Middleton, 42, is continuing her cancer treatment.
William previously sported a beard for a Christmas church outing in 2008. He typically remains clean-shaven, partly due to his time in the Royal Air Force, where facial hair is forbidden, People magazine previously reported. His younger brother, Prince Harry, has consistently worn a beard for years, first growing it out in 2013.
In his memoir “Spare,” Harry claimed that his beard caused tension with William.
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The appearance marked Prince William’s return to royal duties after spending the summer with his family. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
He recalled asking Queen Elizabeth for permission to keep his scruff for his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle. Harry claimed it was “not a small ask” as beards were forbidden in the British Army, and he would be wearing his armed forces uniform for the big day. The Duke of Sussex said his facial hair was a “security blanket” and his wife-to-be had never seen him without one.
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“I didn’t want her coming down the aisle and seeing a total stranger,” the 39-year-old admitted.
While his grandmother allowed it, Harry claimed William was “bristled” when he found out, ordering his sibling to “shave it off.” Harry wrote that when he asked William why he was bothered by their grandmother’s permission, William replied, “Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.”
Prince William arrives with members of the royal family for a Christmas Day church service, circa 2008. (Lewis Whyld – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
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“Ah — there it was,” Harry wrote. “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.”
Their father, King Charles, and grandfather, Prince Philip, experimented with facial hair but typically remained clean-shaven.
It’s unclear whether William had the beard when he briefly saw Harry in August. They were at a memorial for his late uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in the U.K.
“He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he’d been denied.”
Prince William and Prince Harry are reportedly not on speaking terms following the Duke of Sussex’s royal exit in 2020. (Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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Fellowes was married to Princess Diana’s sister, Lady Jane Fellowes. The outlet noted that the service was held two days before the 27th anniversary of Diana’s death, on Aug. 31.
People magazine reported that while the brothers attended the service for Fellowes at St. Mary’s Church in Snettisham, Norfolk, they sat separately with different groups of their maternal cousins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.