Prince William brings back beard as he returns to royal duties - best photos

The Prince of Wales donned a navy suit with a blue open-collared shirt as he arrived at the Saatchi Gallery in London. 

William's unshaven appearance sparked a huge reaction on social media when he debuted his beard in the video message with Kate last month. 

He last sported a beard on Christmas Day in 2008 but his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II reportedly asked him to shave it off while he was on a military secondment. 

William was given a tour of the exhibition upon arrival, which features works from Marc Quinn, Rankin, Philip Colbert, and Simone Brewster, alongside graffiti artist Opake and mixed media artist Robi Walters. 

William looking at the Invisible Words display, curated by Wendy Abrams, co-founder and CEO of Eleven Eleven Foundation.

It features a poignant collection of signs created by people experiencing homelessness worldwide.

The Prince viewing the piece by award-winning social justice artist David Tovey, a red shed-shaped structure made from scraps of metal and panels from a Peugeot 206, the model of car the artist lived in for six months.

Appearing moved, William asked David: "And you lived in this?"

He asked of the displays: "Do you think we've got the right tone?’, referring to the displays.
"I really want people to feel this, experience it. To change perceptions."

David said afterwards: "For me this is everything. As an artist I make social justice work and no-one wants to feature it. They don't want to come into somewhere and feel upset. But I want to feel emotion and tell people the truth.

To have a platform like this is everything. When I was first asked by him, I was like 'Are you mad? Do you really want me to do this?' So for me it is everything. Hopefully galleries will realise the impact and open their eyes."

He added of the Prince: "He was pretty impressed. We mainly talked about the military and what I have been through. It's something he really cares about. 

"He spoke to me about how emotions are taken out of you in the military. He said: 'They are sometimes really hard to get back, aren’t they? How are you doing?' I said 'Yes, I'm still working on it'.

"He suggested maybe we could take it on tour, the whole thing. I think we are, in the six locations Homewards is working in. That would be amazing."

William also chatted with Robi Walters (second left), a London-based artist who transforms discarded materials into beautiful works of art.

Robi, who endured huge childhood trauma in care, spoke with the Prince and praised him for his vision.

He said: "He talked to me about his idea, his vision. How he wanted to educated people about this whole, complex issue. 

"He's got such a huge public profile and platform and he could choose to focus on anything, but he chooses this. The fact that he has chosen to do this and put his money where his mouth is, well that’s really remarkable.

"He is brilliantly empathetic and a very special person. He really is amazing. People definitely take you more seriously as an artist being involved in something like this."

William was reunited with vendor Dave Martin, with whom he previously sold the Big Issue. 

Dave's work features abstract geometric shapes which represent aspects of his life including pathways, a roof over his head and windows to see the light. 

As they shook hands, William asked him warmly: "Dave, lovely to see you again. How have you been?"

Dave proudly  said of William: "He recognised my work straight away."

William chatting with British photographer Rankin, who has captured some of the world's most famous faces, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Moss and David Bowie. 

Rankin told the Prince: "I've loved being part of it."