Harry vs Wills…who wore the beard finest?

There are some who believe a moustache maketh a man, while others favour the subtlety of stubble, a refined goatee or a well-groomed full beard. But whichever style you prefer, one thing is clear, facial hair is all the rage. 

Studies have frequently shown women are more attracted to men with beards because they can accentuate positive features, are seen as more masculine and can even be signs of maturity.

So when Prince William stepped out today, sporting his luscious new locks for the first time in over a decade, it is no surprise that fans heart’s were set aflutter. 

The Prince of Wales is not the only royal to dabble in the fine art of facial hair though. 

Prince Harry is perhaps known for his ginger bristles, having sported them for so long now it’s quite difficult to picture him clean-shaven. 

But which brother wears it best? 

Prince William (pictured with his new beard) during a visit to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, to view Homelessness: Reframed

Prince Harry is perhaps known for his ginger bristles, having sported them for so long now it’s quite difficult to picture him clean-shaven (pictured in 2015) 

Both The Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex are sporting facial hair, but who wears the beard best? 

The rugged royal, 42, visited the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, today for his first post-summer engagement. 

Taking to ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, one person said: ‘William’s beard is back and he’s never looked better! Let’s hope he keeps the razor away this time … because this glow-up is fire.’

While another added: ‘What are my eyes seeing? Prince William is back and has a new Daddy’s beard look and I love this era.

Meanwhile, King Charles had an impressive beard at times in his younger years, including in 1976. And his brother Prince Andrew sported some thick stubble in 1983.

Speaking to ITV about his memoir Spare, Harry said his stubble ‘felt like a shield’ to his anxiety. 

He even claimed in his memoir that his facial hair led to a row with his brother before he married Meghan Markle in 2018.   

The Duke of Sussex alleged that William was left ‘livid’ when their grandmother Queen Elizabeth gave Harry permission to keep his beard for the wedding. 

‘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,’ explains Harry in the book.

‘Beards were forbidden in the British Army.’

George V wore a beard in uniform – and at the altar, as Prince Harry explains in his memoir 

A bearded Prince William at Sandringham in 2008 shortly after he had just completed his Special Forces training

Prince Charles sporting a beard at the Badminton Horse Trials in 1976

Prince Andrew sports a short-lived beard as he attends Chester Races on May 10, 1983

In the memoir, ghost-written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author JR Moehringer, Harry says he was driven to ask his grandmother, the late Queen, for permission in person, explaining that the beard made him feel calmer.

‘Yes, she said, you may keep your beard,’ writes Harry. ‘But then I explained it to my brother and he… bristled?

‘Not the done thing, he said. Military rules, so forth.’

Harry says he gave his older brother ‘a quick history lesson’ with the help of Google showing William images of Royal ancestors who were bearded and uniformed, such as Edward VII and George V.