Prince William showed off a beard today as he returned to royal duties after his summer vacation.
The 42-year-old Prince of Wales devoted his first engagement after the summer to one of his most cherished causes when he visited the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London.
The exhibition aims to bring to life the scale and complexity of homelessness and help the public connect with and better understand the stories of people who have experienced this issue.
There the heir to the throne met artists who had created new commissions for the exhibition, as well as artists with their own experiences that provided inspiration for a number of works of art.
And many royal fans will be happy to see his famous stubble make a comeback, after lusting after his facial hair in a happy video for Team GB last month.
Prince William sported a beard today as he returned to royal duties after his summer vacation
The 42-year-old Prince of Wales made his first commitment to one of his most cherished causes when he visited the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London
Despite his tough appearance, William was neatly dressed in a formal suit and a light blue shirt.
He was pictured looking deep in thought at the exhibition after being welcomed by Paul Foster, director of the Saatchi Gallery.
Last month, royal fans were thrilled when Prince William appeared alongside the Princess of Wales to deliver a message to Team GB athletes.
Social media was soon flooded with enthusiastic messages praising the couple, with many impressed by William’s “rugged” appearance.
Another added: ‘You (Kate and Will) both look amazing!!! I love your beards Will and Catherine!’
One user simply said it was ‘great to see Catherine and William again.’
In the short clip, Prince William stands next to her in the Instagram video. He has an unusually tough look and is unshaven.
William looked tough yet stylish in a formal suit as he met the artists behind the exhibition
The Prince of Wales during a visit to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, to view Homelessness: Reframed
William brought back his famous beard for his first engagement after returning from summer vacation
The 42-year-old Prince of Wales dedicated his first engagement back to one of his most cherished causes
Last month, royal fans were thrilled when Prince William appeared with the Princess of Wales to send a message to Team GB athletes
Kate said: ‘From everyone watching at home, congratulations to Team GB.’
The Prince of Wales, wearing an official blue Team GB shirt, added briefly: “Well done Team GB, you are an inspiration to us all.”
The exhibition, created in partnership with Homewards, Saatchi Gallery and Eleven Eleven Foundation, features work by artists from the UK and internationally, and provides a powerful platform for people directly affected by homelessness to share their stories through art.
One of the key aims of the Homewards programme, launched in June 2023 by The Prince and The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, is to change the narrative and tackle negative perceptions and stereotypes around homelessness.
The Team GB video also featured a rare glimpse of Kate, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
The princess has made few public appearances since starting chemotherapy and withdrawing from royal duties in January.
In the short clip, Prince William stands next to her in the Instagram video. He has an unusually tough look and is unshaven.
Kate said: ‘From everyone watching at home, congratulations to Team GB.’
Royal fans on social media are raving about the Princess of Wales
In a social media post, the royal couple spoke about Team GB’s ‘incredible journey’
The Prince of Wales, wearing an official blue Team GB shirt, added briefly: “Well done Team GB, you are an inspiration to us all.”
In an accompanying message on their social media account, the royal couple said: ‘Well done @teamgb, what an incredible journey!
‘Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart and passion. You made us all so proud!
‘We celebrate every victory at @paris2024 and look forward to more from @paralympicsgb_official later in the summer.’
Kate announced in March that she was undergoing cancer treatment and has since only been seen in public at Trooping the Colour, the men’s singles final at Wimbledon, and at a church service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral.
Royal fans couldn’t take their eyes off William and his beard. Someone wrote on X: ‘Prince William is a real eye-catcher with his stubble.’
It’s not the first time the prince has grown facial hair. In 2008, he made hearts race by growing a beard for the holidays, claiming that strangers didn’t recognize him.
It’s not the first time the prince has ventured into facial hair; in 2008 he set hearts racing by growing a beard for the holidays after claiming strangers didn’t recognise him.
Some royal fans couldn’t take their eyes off William and his beard. For example, someone wrote on X: ‘Prince William is a real eye-catcher with his stubble.’
And despite claiming on Christmas Day that he would shave it off, he held on to the hair for several more weeks.
Fans were very angry about William’s latest appearance with a beard. One wrote: ‘Keep the beard, Prince William. Handsome.’
A third added: ‘Prince William has a gorgeous beard,’ while a fourth said: ‘William please grow that beard!’
Meanwhile, William and his beards made headlines last year after his brother, Prince Harry, 39, claimed in his explosive memoir Spare that the siblings had fought over facial hair.
He said the Prince of Wales asked him to shave off his beard before his wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018.
Harry explained that he had to ask permission from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to grow a beard for his wedding, a privilege William was denied when he married Kate Middleton in 2011.
Harry was the first royal in 125 years to marry with a beard. The last royal to do so was George V, the son of Queen Victoria and Harry’s great-grandfather. He wore a beard at his wedding to Princess Mary of Teck in 1893.
Since it is customary to be clean-shaven in military uniform, the groom was expected to shave before the wedding ceremony.
Response: Fans were outraged by William’s latest appearance with a beard. One wrote: ‘Keep the beard, Prince William. Handsome.’
Soldiers and officers in the British Army will not be allowed to grow a full beard again until King Charles V gives his approval in March 2024, allowing army leaders to end a ban that has been in place for more than 100 years.
However, when Harry was given permission by his grandmother to keep his facial hair, William became “furious.”
Harry reported that his brother said, “You put her in an awkward position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”
He added that William “wouldn’t leave it at that” and that the feud continued “in person, over the phone, for over a week.”
The highlight, Harry says, was when William ordered him to shave off his beard.
Harry replied, “For God’s sake, Willy, why is this so important to you?”
‘Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.’
The Duke concluded: ‘Ah, there it was. After he came back from a Special Forces assignment, Willy had a full beard and someone told him to be a good boy, go fast and shave it off. He hated the idea that I was enjoying a perk that he had been denied.’