Prince Harry has made the shocking claim that his elder brother, Prince William, was “jealous” of him in the lead up to his wedding, and for a rather unexpected reason. The Duke of Sussex married Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, with William by his side.

However, according to Harry, there was a significant disagreement between them before the big day. Just like William did for his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011, Harry donned his military uniform. But unlike his brother, Harry was allowed to keep his beard – a privilege not extended to the future King. As per military dress codes, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals.

Yet, he sought special permission from the Queen to maintain his facial hair, a move that reportedly infuriated William. In his tell-all memoir Spare, Harry discusses this ‘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,”. He continued: “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.”, reports the Mirror.

Upon discovering that Harry had been granted permission, William was reportedly furious. Harry claimed his older brother said: “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.” According to Harry, the disagreement with William over facial hair was persistent, with William insisting that Harry shave his beard off.

Harry recounted, “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 a delightful turn for beard enthusiasts, as of March 2024, the British Army has lifted its ban on beards, allowing soldiers to sport neatly groomed facial hair. Prince William himself embraced the trend and grew a beard in August, much to the joy of his admirers who adore his new look. However, his daughter Princess Charlotte was initially not a fan.

Reflecting on her reaction during a visit to Cape Town in November, William shared, “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.”