Prince William stepped out with a beard in November last year and we still can't believe the sheer hysteria it caused!
William has always been clean-shaven, so this gentle appearance of stubble was quite the change for the future king. Many would say he has influenced males everywhere since his decision.
© Getty ImagesNormally his wife, the Princess of Wales, is the one who evokes hair trends, but it seems her husband has the hot seat right now.
It seems that there has been a rise in the stubble and beards in general since the royal adopted this style - not just amongst celebrities like David Beckham and Jared Leto, but influencers and the public alike.
Paul Windle of Windle London Salon in Covent Garden has noticed the change in men's facial hair since William adopted the approach. He explains: "Prince William’s short beard gives the appearance of grooming effort as opposed to stubble where it just looks like the person didn’t have time to shave!"
He added: "Furthermore, it looks well groomed, masculine and emphasises his jaw line. A strong jaw line always looks good on men. A short-groomed beard can really help emphasise both masculinity and the jaw; in many ways the two go together."
© UK Press via Getty ImagesThe talented professional mused: "Also, as men age, the jaw line can become less prominent so a short well-groomed beard can really help."
Prince William's divisive facial hair
In Prince Harry's book, Spare, the Duke of Sussex revealed that his grandmother, the late Queen, had granted him special permission to keep his facial hair on his wedding day to Meghan Markle in 2018, something Prince William was reportedly refused for his own nuptials. "I explained it to my brother and he… bristled?"
© OWEN HUMPHREYSWilliam allegedly retorted: "'Not the done thing,' he said. 'Military, rules, so forth.' I gave him a quick history lesson. I mentioned the many royals who'd been bearded. King Edward VII. King George V. Prince Albert. More recently, Prince Michael of Kent. Helpfully, I referred him to Google Images. 'Not the same,' he said. When I informed him that his opinion didn't really matter, since I'd already gone to Granny and got the green light, he became livid."
