Ahead of his wedding in May 2018, Prince Harry revealed an unexpected tension with his older brother, Prince William, suggesting that William felt "jealous" about one surprising detail—Harry's beard.
When Harry and Meghan tied the knot at St George's Chapel, Windsor, Harry was granted special permission by the Queen to keep his beard while wearing his military uniform, which was against the traditional dress code of the British Army.
This was a privilege William had been denied, which reportedly left him frustrated. Harry recalled in his memoir Spare that William was infuriated by this exception, claiming that Harry's request had put their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in a difficult position.
The issue caused a prolonged argument between the brothers, ultimately highlighting a rare moment of sibling rivalry.
Harry wrote about 'beard-gate' in his tell-all memoir Spare. "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 said.
"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."
And when William found out he had been granted permission, Harry said he "became livid" and claimed his older brother said: "You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes."
According to Harry, William would not let the issue drop, with the argument continuing for more than a week. It reportedly culminated with William ordering Harry to shave it off .
The Duke claimed he responded by saying: "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."
