Royal men love to experiment with their facial hair, and while for some it has been merely a phase, for other members of family, their bearded look is here to stay.
The Prince of Wales is the latest to cause a stir as he rocked stubble for a video appearance with the Princess of Wales to congratulate Team GB athletes after their triumphs at the Paris 2024 Olympics in August 2024.
But beards aren't universally loved by the royals and Prince Harry's explosive book Spare revealed that while he was given permission to have a beard when he married his wife, Meghan Markle, Prince William was furious because he hadn't been afforded the same option.
WATCH: What royal men look like with and without facial hair Speaking about how beards have often been perceived, Jim Shaw, an award-winning hairdresser and owner of TONI&GUY Billericay, explained: "In ancient times, beards have symbolised wealth, wisdom, power, maturity and strength. I think today the beard still symbolises many of these, however, they are also seen as very trendy and fashion-forward too."
As for why the royals shave their hair off, he added: "To some, facial hair can be seen as 'untidy'. This should not be the case if your beard has been looked after properly – you are actively grooming it, ensuring it is trimmed regularly and are using beard care products."
Take a look at all the royal men who have experimented with facial hair in the past...
Prince William
The Prince of Wales prompted a big reaction when he sported stubble in a video message for Team GB with the Princess of Wales in August 2024. Prince William is usually clean-shaven but seemed to be in full holiday mode during the royal family's annual summer break. The video was shot in Norfolk, where the Waleses have their country home, Anmer Hall.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry was the perfect boyish royal when he had a fully shaven face, but now he's matured into an adult, he truly suits having a beard.
Prince William
Prince William didn't sport a beard for very long, but the royal looked very dapper in 2008 during a trip to Sandringham when he sported a full beard. By the time he walked down the aisle with wife Kate, it was all gone and William has never looked back.
Speaking about William's facial hair, Jim explained the Prince of Wales had opted for a "classic, full beard" praising the royal for keeping it well-groomed.
And as to whether William should bring his beard back, Jim enthused: "Definitely! Particularly as he has lost a lot of his hair, adding a beard will help to balance out his look.
"William also has an oval face shape, which works well with a full beard and is great for accentuating your face and cheekbones. I would say if he was to opt for a beard again, he would look great with a full beard as he had previously, again keeping this more groomed and polished for a sophisticated look. However, he would also look great with a stylish stubble."
King Charles
In truth, we could never properly imagine King Charles having a beard, but he did wear one briefly in his youth. These days, the monarch prefers a clean-shaven face.
Like his son, Charles also went for a classic beard, however, Jim opined that the King should now remain clean-shaven. "Although King Charles looked great with his beard, I would say at his age now, he looks great clean-shaven, particularly as he likes to style his hair slicked back or to the side regularly," he shared.
Mike Tindall
Mike Tindall is another royal gent who certainly suits having a beard, just look how distinguished he is on the left! But during his rugby days, the star decided to be clean-shaven.
King Willem-Alexander
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has been sporting his well-groomed ginger facial hair for several years now. And we believe he certainly suits the style a lot more than when he was clean-shaven.
King Frederik
The newly-crowned King of Denmark is certainly a fan of his grey facial hair. He looks like an entirely different person in the photo on the right without it!
King Philippe
Although King Philippe of Belgium prefers to go without facial hair these days, the royal did appear to be very regal when he sported a small beard.
King Felipe
When Spain's King Felipe acceded to the throne in 2014, he was fully clean-shaven, however, as the years have gone on, the royal has decided to embrace a full grey beard.
Crown Prince Haakon
Crown Prince Haakon has such a baby face without his facial hair! The royal has fully embraced his beard over the years and we think it really suits the Norwegian heir to the throne.
Prince Carl Philip
Prince Carl Philip looks like quite the gentleman with his beard, but back in his younger days, he had an Orlando Bloom vibe going with his clean-shaven appearance.
Andrea Casiraghi
The Monaco royal suits both having a beard and going clean-shaven. Which one do you prefer?
Pierre Casiraghi
Pierre Casiraghi is another Monaco royal who suits having a beard or going without. But with his facial hair, he almost resembles Miles Teller in Top Gun 2!
Prince Michael of Kent
We round off this list with the late Queen's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent. Although it's almost impossible to imagine the royal without his signature white beard, in the photo on the left he was fully clean-shaven as he posed with his new bride, Princess Michael of Kent. What a difference!
