Prince Harry once revealed that his brother, Prince William, was jealous of him during the lead-up to his wedding to Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry once revealed that his brother, Prince William, was jealous of him during the lead-up to his wedding to Meghan Markle. Harry and Meghan tied the knot on May 19, 2018, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. William was seen standing by Harry’s side on the special day.When Harry revealed that William ‘became livid’ on his and Meghan’s wedding day (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)(AP)
Harry, however, claimed that there was a major disagreement between him and his brother before the wedding. The Duke of Sussex wore his military uniform on his wedding day, just as William did when he married Kate Middleton. However, Harry was allowed to keep his beard, which William wasn’t. According to military dress codes, Harry was required to be clean-shaven while donning the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals.
However, Harry got special permission from the Queen to sport his beard on his big day. This, according to Harry, left William angry.
‘He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he’d been denied’
Writing about this “beard-gate” in his controversial memoir, Spare, Harry said, “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.”
Harry said William “became livid” when he learned that the permission had been granted to his younger brother. William exclaimed, according to Harry, “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”
Harry said that this disagreement lasted more than a week, and things became worse when William asked him to get rid of his beard. Recounting William’s frustration, Harry said, “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.”
According to new regulations as of March 2024, soldiers in the British Army can now sport beards, as long as they are tidy. William, too, was seen donning a beard in August and is believed to have kept it, much to the delight of his fans.