Prince William bans chit-chat over fuzzy new look, according to close advisor

By now, most of us have seen pictures of Prince William doing the rounds with his full beard on display. Though he debuted his new look last (UK) summer to rapturous applause, one former advisor reveals why the Prince of Wales shut down all talk about his facial hair.

Jason Knauf, former communications advisor to Prince William and Princess Catherine, revealed all on a recent episode of 60 Minutes Australia where he pulled back the curtain on life in the Wales household and what went down after the Prince abandoned his shaving habits.

Knauf said that Princess Catherine was a big fan of the look and explained her sway over her husband’s facial hair choices.

“If she didn’t like it, it wouldn’t be there. I could tell you that,” Knauf said.

Knauf admitted he “loved” Prince Williams’s new look but said all discussions about his new appearance were shut down by the heir to the throne.

“I love it. I think it’s great. But I’ve talked to him about it or tried to talk to him about it,” Knauf said.

“He’s like, ‘It’s here. I have a beard. No further conversation’.”

In a previous interview, it was the 42 year old Prince who revealed there was a family member who quashed his previous attempts at growing facial hair.

“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,” the Prince said via People magazine.

But tears or no tears, the Prince of Wales was determined to go shaggy-faced again and persuaded his only daughter to accept his new visage.

“And then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second and I convinced her it was going to be okay,” he said.

It’s another example of how Prince William is directing the monarchy toward a more casual approach, something the late Queen would agree with. 

That’s the take from author and royal reporter Jennie Bond who spoke to OK! magazine about the way the 42-year-old Prince is adapting the House of Windsor for the modern age.

“For a while now, William has been putting into action the way that he intends to do the job,” Bond told the publication.

“And that, as he now made clear, is royal with a small ‘r.’ You could say that the small ‘r’ also stands for relatable, because that is what he is showing himself to be.”

She also thought that the Queen, “would very much approve.”