Prince William’s former aide reveals what Kate Middleton REALLY thinks about his beard

In November 2024, the Prince of Wales stepped out rocking a beard – the first time he’d done so in a decade. 

The reaction amongst royal fans was nothing short of hysteria, the kind of frenzied excitement only boybands can accumulate. 

One video of Prince William’s facial hair debut shared to TikTok, using No Doubt’s ‘Just A Girl’ backing track, was watched almost one million times after the original poster captioned the post: “Is it just me, or does Prince William look hot with the beard?”. 

The world’s verdict on the future King’s facial hair was clear, but what did his wife, the Princess of Wales, think?

Former royal aide reveals Kate’s reaction to William’s beard

Prince William’s former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, shared several revelations during a special episode of 60 Minutes Australia, including a royal mishap over the birth of Princess Charlotte, how the Prince of Wales dealt with his wife’s cancer diagnosis in 2024 and an insight into Prince Harry’s role in the future of the monarchy.

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Also discussed was the Prince of Wales’ newly grown facial hair. “I love it. I think it’s great. But I’ve talked to him about it or tried to talk to him about it. He’s like, ‘It’s here. I have a beard. No further conversation’,” Jason said. 

When asked if Kate was a fan of the beard, he mused: “If she didn’t like it, it wouldn’t be there. I could tell you that!”

Prince William’s divisive facial hair

According to Prince Harry, facial hair is a hotly contested topic between the royal brothers. 

In his memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex wrote that the late Queen had granted him special permission to keep his facial hair on his wedding day to Meghan Markle in 2018, something Prince William was reportedly refused for his own nuptials. “I explained it to my brother and he… bristled?” 

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Prince Harry said of when he told his brother he would be bearded on his big day.

“‘Not the done thing,’ he said. ‘Military, rules, so forth.’ I gave him a quick history lesson. I mentioned the many royals who’d been bearded. King Edward VII. King George V. Prince Albert. More recently, Prince Michael of Kent. Helpfully I referred him to Google Images. ‘Not the same,’ he said. 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.”