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    1. Celebrity
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    Prince William Hints He Might Try This Trend That's "Creeping In Now"

    Princess Charlotte will not be impressed.

    Christine Ross#039;s avatar
    By Christine Ross
    Published 26 March 2026 In News

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    Prince William beard
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Prince William is not exactly known as a men’s style influencer, but it seems he’s keeping up on the latest trends. During a royal engagement at a military base in Wiltshire, Prince William spoke to members of the 1st Battalion of the Mercian Regiment about changing up his appearance. Joking about his beard, the Prince of Wales said, “I might end up taking mine off and leaving a 'tache."

    Prince William has had his sexy salt-and-pepper beard since 2024, when he first appeared with facial hair in a video wishing Team GB good luck at the Paris Olympics. Since then, he has kept a long-term, well-groomed but substantial beard for the first time. Although he had a brief stint with a beard during his military service in the early 2000s, British Army guidelines required he shaved it off when returning to his normal duties. In 2024, right around the time Prince William ditched the daily shave, the British Army relaxed those guidelines and allowed facial hair on servicemembers—an interesting coincidence.

    Britain#039;s Prince William (C), Prince of Wales as Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment, meets with soldiers of the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment in Bulford in south-west England on March 26, 2026. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP)

    The Prince of Wales meets with servicemembers in Wiltshire.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    SLEAFORD, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 12: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince William, Prince of Wales attends, on behalf of King Charles III, the Sovereignamp;amp;apos;s Parade at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell on September 12, 2024 in Sleaford, England. The parade will feature 48 Royal Air Force cadets and 4 international officer cadets from Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan and Uganda graduating from the commissioned warrant officers course and modular initial officer training. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

    Prince William shows off an impressive jawline in 2024.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    SANDRINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 25: In this composite photo a comparison is made between Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (L) seen with a beard in 1976 in Badminton, England and Prince William (R) as he attends the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdelene Church on December 25, 2008 in Sandringham, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

    Prince William sports a beard in 2008.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    While speaking with servicemen in Wiltshire, Prince William joked that the moustache trend “is creeping in now.” The moustache is the biggest trend in men’s beauty, with everyone from Leonardo diCaprio to Jacob Elordi—and now, possibly Prince William—sporting the upper lip facial hair. Lydia Spencer-Elliott wrote for The Independent that “moustaches have been on the up for a while.” She explained that the moustache is “long a symbol of masculinity, strength and maturity,” and post-pandemic “we’re seeing the resurgence—and celebration—of the full-throttle, unapologetically present, mouth-framer of a bygone era.”

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    Princess Charlotte might have mixed feelings about her dad dipping into this trend. Last November, Prince William revealed his daughter was not impressed with his new facial hair when he first grew a beard in 2024. "Well Charlotte didn't like it the first time," he explained. "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."

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    Prince William
    Christine Ross
    Christine Ross
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    Writer

    Christine Ross is a freelancer writer, royal expert, broadcaster and podcaster. She's worked with news outlets including the BBC, Glamour, Talk TV, ET, PBS, CNN and 20/20 to cover the foremost royal events of the last decade, from Prince George’s birth to the coronation of King Charles III.

    She previously served as co-host of Royally Us, a weekly royal podcast by Us Weekly. As a freelance writer and royal commentator she provides expert commentary, historical context and fashion analysis about royal families worldwide, with an emphasis on the British Royal Family.

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