It looks like Prince William’s beard is here to stay. The future King rocked full facial hair during an appearance at Windsor Castle this week, having previously come to blows over the issue with Prince Harry in the past

The Prince of Wales had royal fans feeling a little hot under the collar when he carried out an investiture at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

William, 42, performed the ceremony looking smart in his military uniform – but it was his facial hair that proved to be the main talking point.

The future King is still sporting a full beard – which he first debuted in August. And it seems it is here to stay, much to the delight of royal watchers, who can’t get enough of his rugged look.

Fans quickly took to X in praise of William’s closely-cropped beard, sharing love heart and flame emojis as they raved over his appearance.

Prince William performed an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday – and he’s still rocking a beard ( 
Image:
PA)

It comes after Prince Harry claimed that William was jealous of his beard, and the fact he was allowed to have facial hair at his wedding to Meghan Markle, whereas William was not.

According to military dress codes at the time, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. But he sought special permission from the Queen – something that reportedly infuriated his sibling.

Harry wrote about ‘beard-gate’ in his tell-all memoir Spare . “And yet I now dared to make another ask – Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard? Not a small ask either,” he said.

“A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army.”

Harry was allowed to wear a beard on his wedding day, whereas his brother William was not ( 
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Getty Images)
When William found out he had been granted permission, Harry said he “became livid” and claimed his older brother said: “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”

According to Harry, William would not let the issue drop, with the argument continuing for more than a week. It reportedly culminated with William ordering Harry to shave it off .

The Duke claimed he responded by saying: “For the love of God, Willy, why does this matter so much to you? ‘Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.’ Ah, there it was. 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.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Prince William’s former hairdresser Sam McKnight issued a message to the Duke of Sussex this week, relating to his recent hairloss.

Harry’s hairdresser recently sent a message to the Duke ( 
Image:
WireImage)The 69-year-old – who was a good friend and personal hair stylist to Princess Diana – shared a recent snapshot of Harry taken at the Invictus Games, highlighting his diminishing top, and urged him to go for a hair transplant.

He wrote, in part: “… the lush hedging is no more, a mere wisp or two of its former self. All is not lost, however, a good short clip at the barbers (like your big brother has done recently) would look sharp and clean, and take years off that handsome face.

“If I were your age I’d go for a transplant, so much more natural these days, unlike the plug plants of yore. And no need for a quick EasyJet trip to Turkey, you’re in California where they have the best!”

He also wrote about Harry’s hair in an article in the Telegraph, in which he likened him to a “1950s geography teacher”.