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Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s appearance in a montage video for the 2024 Olympics got a lot of people talking for a very interesting reason! The Prince and Princess of Wales’ video caused a huge stir online because of Prince William’s appearance; more specifically: his beard!

The future king doesn’t usually sport an unshaven look – he hasn’t done so since 2008, after being required to shave it off before joining the British Army – with people flocking to social media to wonder if his scruffy appearance was down to him trying to copy his younger brother Prince Harry!

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Was Prince William Jealous Of Prince Harry’s Beard?

Many people on social media accused Prince William of trying to copy his younger brother, after allegedly being jealous of his beard in the past. While we don’t know anything for certain, Prince Harry previously claimed that Prince William being forced to shave his beard off in 2008 sparked jealousy between the brothers, as Prince Harry didn’t have to follow such rules.

Many others pointed out the hypocrisy of Prince William sporting a beard, given his alleged disapproval of Prince Harry’s beard in the past.

In Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare, he recalled the moment he asked his grandmother, the late Queen Eliabeth II, for permission to keep his beard when he married Meghan Markle in 2018. And although the loving grandmother approved his request, Prince William was reportedly furious about it!

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Prince Harry Recalls Prince William ‘Telling’ Him To Shave His Beard For His Wedding To Meghan Markle In ‘Spare’

“When I informed him that his opinion didn’t really matter, since I’d already gone to granny and got the green light, he became livid,” Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, adding: “He raised his voice, ‘You went to ask her!’ ‘Yes.’ ‘And what did granny say?’ ‘She said keep the beard.’

Prince William then said, according to the book: “‘You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.'” Prince Harry then reportedly went on to say: “‘No choice? She’s the queen!'”

He added: “If she didn’t want me to have a beard I think she can speak for herself. But Willy always thought granny had a soft spot for me, that she indulged me while holding him to an impossibly high standard. Because…Heir, Spare, etc. It irked him. The argument went on, in person, on the phone, for more than a week. He wouldn’t let it go.”

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Prince Harry also went on to suggest that Prince William was indeed jealous of him for being allowed to grow a beard, which he apparently confessed to after ordering his brother to shave his off.

“‘I’m telling you, shave it off,'” Prince William told Prince Harry, according to Spare. “‘For the love of God, Willy, why does this matter so much to you?'” Prince Harry asked, to which Prince William allegedly replied: “‘Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.'”

Prince Harry added: “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.”

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Social Media Reactions

“It looks like The Prince of Wales has had a bit of a summer makeover,” wrote one fan on X, suggesting that he looks better with the beard. “Y’all, Spare was right. William was jealous of Harry’s beard,” replied one X user, in reference to Prince Harry’s allegations in his memoir.

“I will never forget Prince Harry saying that Prince William was genuinely upset that Harry got to keep his beard for his wedding,” wrote another. “Just rereading that part. William is pathetic,” replied one X user, as another added: “William is such a spoilt child.”

“[William] is the epitome of a jealous rotten brother to his core and so happy Harry asked his granny and got the green light, and stood strong not allowing his hateful brother to order him onto shaving,” wrote one Prince Harry fan on X. “And the audacity to think he could order H to shave his beard,” wrote another, as another slammed: “He is such a resentful brat.”

“Royal jealousy is a dangerous business,” commented another X user, while someone else added: “The truth is coming out. William has never accomplished anything & there is Harry, with his genuine heart motivated to help others. The jealousy has been there since childhood according to their protection officer as kids.”

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Many People Think Prince William Sported His Beard First

However, not everyone online was in agreement, as many people pointed out several past occasions of Prince William sporting an unshaven look. The picture above, which was taken at Christmas in 2008, is just one example.

“William had a beard in 2008 long before copycat Harry,” wrote one fan on X. “For the puerile detractors saying that William is “copying” Harry by growing a beard. I’ll just leave this here,” wrote another, alongside a picture of Prince William in 2008 sporting a beard. “Thank you! What a ridiculous claim when Prince William has done beard many times before!” exclaimed another in the Prince of Wales’ defense.