Prince William jokes about shaving off beard during army visit
Prince William is considering getting rid of one of his most popular assets after a visit to an army barracks.
In his role as Colonel-in-Chief, the 43-year-old visited the troops from the Mercian Regiment at their barracks in Bulford, Wiltshire, even donning his camouflage army uniform and the regimental beret for the occasion.
The future King met soldiers who recently returned from a six-month deployment to Estonia as part of the UK's contribution to NATO forces.
Watch the video above
Prince William visited an army barracks in Bulford, Wiltshire. Getty
The father-of-three met and joked around with the officers and their families, including young children.
During his visit, he also watched a drone combat demonstration in urban areas, praising it for its creativity and role in developing officers' skills.
He also spoke to female members of the military, asking them about their experiences in the organisation and how to help them in the future.
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The future King listened to the officers' stories. Getty
He even joked around with their families, especially the children. Getty
At one point, having noticed that many young army officers sported moustaches, he joked that he would consider shaving off his now-beloved beard.
William was first spotted with his stubble in late 2024 when he returned to royal duties following a summer vacation with his family, including Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The family had taken some time for themselves after the Princess of Wales underwent major abdominal surgery and battled cancer.
The beard sent royal watchers into a frenzy, though his own family had mixed opinions.
One sight made him consider shaving off his beard. Getty
The royal revealed in a November 2024 interview for the Earthshot Prize that, "Charlotte didn't like it the first time. I got floods of tears, the first one I got tears, so I had to shave it off."
He eventually convinced the now-10-year-old that, "it was going to be OK".
Meanwhile, his wife Catherine was heard speaking about the beard during a solo visit to Wellington Barracks in London for St Patrick's Day with the Irish Guards last March.
"These trends come and go," Kate said, adding: "I was saying to my husband, I'm not sure how long he's going to keep his for."
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