Prince Harry has alleged that Prince William was jealous of him before his wedding, for a very surprising reason.
The ceremony between Harry and Meghan took place on May 19, 2018, at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel. Despite serving as his brother’s supporter on the day, Harry revealed they experienced significant discord beforehand, UK Mirror reported.
Whilst both brothers donned military attire for their respective weddings, Harry received authorisation to maintain his beard, a privilege previously denied to William. Military protocol typically requires personnel to be clean-shaven whilst wearing the Blues and Royals frock coat uniform. However, Harry obtained special dispensation from the Queen to retain his facial hair, which reportedly angered his brother.
In his autobiography ‘Spare’, Harry detailed the ‘beard-gate’ situation: “And yet I now dared to make another ask – Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard? Not a small ask either. 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.”
Upon learning of the Queen’s approval, Harry stated William “became livid” and declared: “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”
The disagreement persisted for over a week, with William allegedly demanding Harry shave. Harry recounted his response: “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.”
In March 2024, the British Army revised its regulations, permitting servicemen to grow well-maintained beards. Prince William has since grown his own beard, which has received positive public reception, although his daughter Princess Charlotte initially disapproved.
During a November visit to Cape Town, William discussed his facial hair: “Charlotte didn’t like it the first time. I got floods of tears the first time I grew a beard, so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second and I convinced her it was going to be okay.”
