Princess Kate is said to be less than thrilled after Prince William joked about making a dramatic grooming change that insiders claim left her completely horrified.
The Prince of Wales, 43, reportedly raised eyebrows during a visit to the Mercian Regiment at Picton Barracks in Wiltshire when he floated the idea of ditching his beard and keeping only a mustache — a look that, according to sources, Kate finds deeply unappealing.
William made the comment while chatting with soldiers recently back from a six-month NATO deployment in Estonia. Dressed in full camouflage and a regimental beret as Colonel-in-Chief, the future king was touring the barracks, meeting officers and their families, and taking part in conversations about military life.
But it was one light-hearted exchange about facial hair that allegedly caused the biggest stir behind palace walls.
Lieutenant Jack Austin, one of the officers William spoke with, said the mustache trend had taken off during deployment.
“It started in Estonia — a few of us officers grew mustaches and it snowballed from there,” Austin said. “I brought it up when I was chatting to the prince, and he said, ‘Maybe I should get rid of the beard and just have the mustache.’”
What sounded like a harmless joke at the time reportedly did not go over so well once word got back home.
A source close to the couple claimed Kate was “absolutely mortified” by the idea and has no interest in seeing her husband adopt the retro look.
According to the insider, the princess thinks a mustache would totally change William’s image — and not in a good way. She allegedly joked he would end up looking like a “cheesy 1970s porn star,” and is said to be hoping the whole thing was nothing more than barracks banter.
The source added that Kate has never liked that style and feels it would push William’s appearance in a direction she finds awkward and deeply unattractive.
The facial hair chatter came during an otherwise serious day of royal duties. William also spoke with female Army personnel about the military’s zero-tolerance policy on unacceptable sexual behavior and listened as service members shared their views on improving education and transparency around the issue.
Captain Maria Bell praised recent progress but said more work still needs to be done.
“The USB course is great, it’s there, but more education, more training around that, to chains of command, to within units, not just a tick-box exercise,” she said. “I think more investment needs to go into the training, education around the subject, what’s inappropriate, what’s not, just so it’s very transparent, no grey areas.”
William also found time for lighter moments, joking about sports and confirming his love of football — and his support for Aston Villa — during chats with soldiers and their families.
Still, it was the mustache comment that appears to have stolen the show.
Another soldier, Lieutenant Harris Debonnaire, told the prince his own facial hair started during Movember and ended up sticking around because it “just grew on me.”
For now, William’s possible mustache makeover appears to be all talk. But if palace insiders are to be believed, Kate is hoping the future king keeps that razor far away from his beard — and even farther from any 70s-inspired experiment.
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