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Just in time for the Olympic final, Princess Kate and Prince William send a video message. Prince William in particular attracts attention.
London – The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 was already teeming with royals, with the royal families of the world storming the stands at the games under the Eiffel Tower. Not so for Princess Kate (42) and Prince William (42). The couple was all the more heartfelt when they unexpectedly congratulated the couple from their holidays with a clip that shows a new appearance of the princess, who is suffering from cancer, and also offers completely new insights into Prince William’s casual look.
Prince William steals the show from his wife Princess Kate with a three-day beard
After the British royal family had just been criticized for not publicly congratulating the British team on their victory in the race on social media, Kate and William made up for it in their star-studded video: “Well done @teamgb, what an incredible journey!” Rapper Snoop Dogg (52), who had reported on the Summer Games for NBC, started off by opening the thank you speech, passing on the floor to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
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As with every appearance by Princess Kate after the announcement of her illness and her retirement, whether at Trooping the Colour or Wimbledon, she was guaranteed full attention. But this time it was Prince William who stole the show with his shaggy facial hair.
Queen Elizabeth II was strictly against bearded appearances by the royals – she placed great importance on etiquette
“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB!” said the Princess of Wales – who wore a casual striped top by Ralph Lauren. “You were amazing, thank you for everything you achieved. You were an inspiration to us all,” added the Prince of Wales, wearing a blue Olympic jersey, looking as though he had just gotten out of bed.
For their 12th wedding anniversary, Prince William and Princess Kate appeared in casual leisure looks, and in the video to Team GB after the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the British heir to the throne even had a beard. © picture alliance/dpa/PA Media | Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace
William’s bearded appearance would have been a thorn in the side of the late Queen Elizabeth II (96, † 2022). But the Prince and Princess of Wales reported back from their summer vacation. William is usually only seen clean-shaven, as was common during his time in the Royal Air Force, where facial hair was even forbidden at the time. However, he surprised fans on Christmas Day 2008 with a lot of beard on his face.
The royal beard revolt has a tradition: The late Queen’s husband, Prince Philip (99, † 2021), also grew his beard during his solo tour of the Commonwealth in 1965, and King Charles (75) was also spotted with facial hair for a very short time in his life.
In William’s case, the Prince and Princess of Wales simply continued the tradition of saying thank you to British athletes for the Olympic Games – even if this year they cheered on the British Olympians from afar. Until the end, the team and the spectators had hoped for an appearance by the heir to the throne and Princess Kate in particular would have loved to come. Sources used: people.com, Instagram
