Prince William defies royal protocol with subtle detail

Prince William has defied a royal rule during his latest appearance at Trooping the Colour. 

The 43-year-old stood alongside his family, including his father King Charles, wearing his red military uniform and tall black headgear as they inspected the troops together during the King’s birthday parade. 

But there was one detail of his outfit that raised eyebrows – his facial hair. 

The future king sported his thick beard, which he has spent the last few years growing out, despite it being considered a violation of protocol for members of the royal family, and especially for those in the military. 

While there is no explicit rule banning beards for members of the royal family, Prince Harry noted in his memoir Spare about when he got married with his beard intact.

“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, ” he wrote.

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Harry’s beard was even a point of contention between himself and his older brother, whom Harry claimed “ordered” him to shave ahead of his 2018 nuptials. 

“At one point he actually ordered me, as the Heir speaking to the Spare, to shave,” Harry wrote.

“He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk that he’d been denied,” he added, referring to the fact William wasn’t allowed to have facial hair on his own wedding day.

However, Harry ended up getting his way, claiming that the late Queen Elizabeth herself gave his beard the stamp of approval before his nuptials.

Now it seems William has also gotten his way, standing during the event beside his father, the monarch, who clearly had no issue with his son’s bold look.

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.

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.”