The Duke of Sussex has revealed that his older brother, Prince William, was “jealous” of him in the days leading up to his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle—and for an unexpected reason.
Prince Harry and Meghan exchanged vows on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. While William supported his brother on the big day, Harry claims they had a significant disagreement beforehand.
Harry, like William at his own wedding in 2011, wore his military uniform. However, unlike his older brother, Harry was allowed to keep his beard—a decision that reportedly upset William. According to military protocol, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. However, Harry requested and received special permission from the Queen to keep his beard for the occasion, something that allegedly angered William.
In his memoir Spare, Harry detailed the incident, calling it “beard-gate.” He wrote, “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.”
When William learned of the Queen’s approval, Harry claimed his brother was “livid” and accused him of putting their grandmother in an uncomfortable position. “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes,” William reportedly told Harry.
The disagreement reportedly lasted over a week, culminating in William demanding Harry shave off his beard. 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.”
By March 2024, the British Army officially lifted its ban on beards, allowing soldiers to grow them as long as they are neat and well-groomed. Around this time, Prince William debuted his own beard, which was met with enthusiasm from fans who admired his rugged look.
However, not everyone was impressed—William revealed during a visit to Cape Town in November that his daughter, Princess Charlotte, was initially unhappy with his facial hair. “Charlotte didn’t like it the first time,” he admitted. “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.”
This amusing anecdote highlights the evolving attitudes towards beards in both the royal family and the military.
