Prince William’s holiday beard: What does society make of a bit of facial hair?

The Prince and Princess of Wales offered a congratulatory message via Instagram to Team Great Britain at the closing of the Olympic Games, but it was Prince William’s beard that had everyone talking. Photo / Instagram @princeandprincessofwales
Do women find bearded men more attractive, and what are the other social perceptions surrounding men sporting a bit of stubble?
Why do we view a Ben Affleck “break-up beard” differently to David Letterman’s retirement look or Idris Elba’s low-key crop?
With Prince William’s facial hair prompting chatter, Lucy Slight takes a look at a few other famous men who’ve grown them and how both men and women make beard-based assumptions.
“Holiday beard”. It’s a term that really needs no explanation, but in the context of deciphering the social constructs around men’s facial hair, let’s break it down.
A “holiday beard” refers to facial hair men often grow during a vacation or holiday period. It’s usually more relaxed, less groomed, and represents a break from the clean-shaven or neatly trimmed look they might maintain during their regular work routine.
The idea of the “holiday beard” is tied to a sense of freedom and relaxation, as people may take a break from their usual grooming habits while enjoying time off.
So, why are we talking about holiday beards all of a sudden?
In case you missed it, on August 11 at the closing of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a video to their official Instagram account in which they were featured congratulating the Great British Olympics contingent alongside a number of other well-known faces, including Snoop Dogg and David Beckham.
But it wasn’t the message itself that got the internet talking, but Prince William’s new rugged facial hair. The future king was seen wearing a Team Great Britain polo shirt and what looked to be a good couple of weeks of stubble across his cheeks and jaw.
The usually clean-shaven prince isn’t the first royal to sport a bit of facial hair. His father King Charles had a full beard in the 1970s and his brother Prince Harry is more often than not seen with a beard these days, having described in his 2023 memoir Spare how having facial hair helps with his anxiety.
Celebrity beards tend to make great tabloid fodder as the sudden appearance of facial hair can be an indication of a lifestyle change; be that the “break-up beard” as seen on Ben Affleck after his divorce from his wife Jennifer Garner, or the “retirement beard” worn by talk show host David Letterman.
In 2015, Irish actor Jamie Dornan rocked a very full beard at the Golden Globes in stark contrast to his super-slick character Christian Grey in 50 Shades of Grey, perhaps as a conscious way to disassociate from the role. Brad Pitt, Idris Elba, Hugh Jackman and George Clooney are yet more examples of actors who have grown beards in their “off-seasons”.
Given the relaxed vibe a bit of stubble conveys, is Prince William’s facial hair simply a “holiday beard” or something of that ilk, or is there more meaning behind his new appearance?
A 2012 study in the journal Behavioral Ecology found women (comparing different ethnicities and nationalities) did not find bearded male faces more attractive than those that were clean-shaven.
However, research into other social perceptions associated with men’s facial hair did show a number of positive attributes.
Men with beards tend to be perceived as older than men without beards. What’s more, bearded men were presumed to have a higher social status. Studies looking into women’s perceptions showed bearded men were also judged to be more healthy than those with clean-shaven faces, have a higher parenting ability and the perception of masculinity was increased too, along with an increase in the perceived level of aggression.
Research by Dixon and Brooks in 2013 showed men had similar judgments of facial hair, noting a greater perception of masculinity as facial hair increased. They found men indicated full beards were as appealing as heavy stubble, while women found stubble to be the most attractive level of facial hair.
While the social signalling of beards could be described as a biological function and evolutionarily beneficial for the purpose of attracting a mate, there aren’t many other functional uses that the beard provides, other than a bit of protection from the elements. And perhaps, also, a visual cue that you’ve really used your out-of-office time to its fullest.
Lucy Slight is a beauty and lifestyle columnist for the Herald. She has worked in print and digital publishing for the past 17 years in New Zealand and Australia, across several well-known fashion, beauty, entertainment, food and home titles. Recently, she’s explained how to care for your hands this winter, whether all children need to be using gentle bath products on their skin, and the skincare tradies use.