Balding Clearly Runs Rampant In The Royal Family (& Harry Wasn't Spared)
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It's not exactly a secret that hair loss is rather pervasive among the men who make up England's royal family. In recent generations, this trend can arguably be traced back to Prince Philip, who — as we'll soon learn — was never particularly known for his strong hairline. Many of Philip and Queen Elizabeth II's descendants have been dealt a similar hand, enjoying full heads of hair during their younger days, only to see it wither away over time, albeit to varying degrees.
Not even Prince Harry — who long seemed to have a much fuller, thicker hair than many of his fellow Windsor men (including older brother Prince William) — has been spared by the sometimes cruel hand of genetics. The Duke of Sussex himself seems acutely aware of the fact that going bald is more likely that not in the House of Windsor, even if the process has been noticeably slower for him. "I looked at Willy, really looked at him, maybe for the first time since we were boys. I took it all in: his familiar scowl, which had always been his default in dealings with me; his alarming baldness, more advanced than my own," Harry wrote in his now-infamous 2023 memoir "Spare."
Was this a potshot on Harry's part, or was he simply acknowledging reality? We'll let you be the judge, but we think we have some pretty convincing evidence that balding simply runs rampant in the royal family.
Prince Philip's hairline had been visibly receding since Elizabeth became queen
By the time he passed away at the age of 99 in 2021, Prince Philip — perfectly understandably, mind you — didn't exactly have much left in the way of hair. But even when the late Duke of Edinburgh was a younger man, it was clear that his locks were on the way out. Philip's hairline was already noticeably receding during the late Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, when he was 32. As we alluded to earlier, this would prove to be a bit of an omen for his and Elizabeth's children and grandchildren.
King Charles probably wishes he could wear his crown more often
King Charles III may have a lot more hair on the top of his head than his father Prince Philip did at his age, but it's still clearly a lot thinner than it was in his younger years. As of 2025, His Royal Highness can still pull off a semi-convincing combover, but we wouldn't be surprised if it becomes progressively less convincing over time. On the bright side, he's got his crown, and if nothing else, King Charles can probably at least take solace knowing he still has more hair than some of his fellow royals.
Prince Edward has even less hair than his older brother
Despite being the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's three sons, Prince Edward seems to have experienced the most rapid and visible hair loss among them. In fact, much like his father, whom he succeeded as the Duke of Edinburgh, Edward showed visible signs of thinning hair as early as his 30s. Fast-forward to his 60s, and Prince Edward has very little hair left on the top of his head to speak of, and certainly can't make a combover work like his eldest brother King Charles does. Firstborns really do have it easiest sometimes.
Peter Phillips has a more intact hairline than many royal men
Peter Phillips may not have a royal title, but as the son of Anne, Princess Royal and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, he undeniably has royal blood. And what he lacks in official duties, he certainly seems to make up for with a decently full head of hair compared to most of his fellow Windsor men (including Prince William, who is actually younger than him). Granted, Peter hasn't broken the curse entirely, as there is some clear hairline recession on the sides of his head. However, the hair he does have, he's more or less managed to hold on to over the years.
Prince William doesn't seem to mind his baldness too much
Prince William may be heir to the throne, but the aforementioned first child privilege appears to have skipped over him in the hair department, as he's already lost more hair than even his father, King Charles III. However, while it's true that not even William's extensive hat collection can hide his baldness, the Prince of Wales doesn't seem all that bothered. Admittedly, William's hair loss has even become a bit of an online punchline, but he's clearly learned to roll with the punches, even laughing at himself a bit after a child spotlighted his bald head in a drawing.
Prince Harry has faced hair transplant rumors
As he mentioned in his book, Prince Harry appears to have experienced hair loss at a much slower rate than brother William, who is only two years older than he is. But just when it seemed like his thick, red hair might break the royal curse entirely, he too started noticeably thinning up top. Depending on who you ask, Harry also may or may not have taken steps to curb the loss, with rumors swirling that the Duke of Sussex had undergone a hair transplant. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harry has neither confirmed nor denied this.
