Prince William Ordered To Shave Off His New Beard

Britain's Prince William has reportedly been ordered to shave off his new shaggy beard by RAF bosses who think the facial hair is unsuitable for his upcoming role as a search and rescue helicopter pilot.

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The 26-year-old royal - who debuted his new look on a pheasant shoot with girlfriend Kate Middleton and 24-year-old brother Prince Harry at the family's Norfolk estate Sandringham on Saturday - is said to be under orders from senior members of the Royal Air Force to change his look before he starts training next month.

However, while the RAF are not taken with William's new look, it seems Kate has grown fond of her beau's beard.

An onlooker said: "It was a real shock to see William with a beard. It looked as if he had not shaved for a couple of weeks at least."

"Whether Kate approves is another matter entirely. But she was laughing and joking during the shoot so maybe she does like it."

It has also been claimed that William originally grew the beard as a disguise when he worked undercover with the Special Boat Service in Barbados earlier this year in a bid to combat drug trafficking and piracy in the area.

A source said: "William has been back about a week and knew it was only a matter of time before someone spotted him. Everyone has been saying it makes him look like some of the old British kings."

"No one is sure if he's going to keep it. But it's here for now."