Prince William's Hair Transformation Totally Changed His Look Over The Years
Most of us have probably tried a new haircut, hair color, or both at least one point in our lives, but there's a group of people who don't seem to be keen on experimenting with their image: the British royals. Much like their rules and traditions, the hairstyles of the members of the British royal family usually stay the same or don't change much throughout their lives, so they often become part of their signature look. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II rocked her iconic short curly hair her entire 70-year reign, and her silhouette was instantly recognizable when printed on money, clothing, and other objects.
However, this doesn't mean that none of the royals ever switch up their look or that their signature hairstyle doesn't change over time. Catherine, Princess of Wales is known for her long, bouncy brunette locks, but she's done some subtle experimentations such as bangs and blonde highlights during the gorgeous hair transformation she underwent through the years. In August 2025, Kate Middleton debuted a bold change to her hair color when she stepped out with light blonde hair, but it ended up being a temporary look as she was back to her trademark brunette around two weeks later.
Unlike his wife, William, Prince of Wales has been in the public eye since he was born, so longtime royal fans have witnessed how drastically his hairstyle has changed. During his teenage years, Prince William appeared on covers of teen magazines looking like a fairytale prince with his full head of blond hair and dreamy blue eyes. Fast forward some decades, and the still-handsome heir to the British throne has less hair but a lot more mature charm. Here's a look back at Prince William's hair transformation over the years.
William was his mother Princess Diana's mini-me at 7 years old
William, Prince of Wales will inherit a much larger fortune from his father, King Charles III, than he did from Princess Diana, but in terms of physical appearance and features, it was his late mother who gave him the bigger share. Prince William looked like a little clone of Diana when they watched a polo match in July 1989, thanks to their identical hair color. But while the late royal wore her gorgeous light blonde hair in a voluminous layered style, then-7-year-old William rocked an adorable bowl cut.
William entered his heartthrob era with side-swept hair
William, Prince of Wales broke royal tradition in 1995 when he studied at Eton College instead of Scotland's Gordonstoun, which his grandfather Prince Philip and father King Charles III attended. However, Prince William looked far from a royal bad boy on his first day at the prestigious English boarding school, sporting a gray plaid suit, light blue button-up shirt, and printed dark blue tie. The 13-year-old future king also grew out of the bowl cut and instead wore his golden blond hair in a side-swept style.
William looked much younger with shorter hair during his gap year in 2000
William, Prince of Wales had ditched the boyband side-swept hairstyle by the time he turned 18 and graduated from Eton College in 2000. While getting ready to take a gap year before officially becoming a university student, Prince William looked all grown up as he rocked an artfully messy, layered look in September 2000 (above left). However, he appeared years younger three months later when he got a trim and sported shorter hair while doing charity work in Chile as part of his gap year (above right).
He grew out his darkening blond hair during his university years
William, Prince of Wales' time at the University of St Andrews not only brought him and his future wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, together, but it also gave us one of his best hairstyles yet. During his final years as a university student, Prince William's sun-kissed blond hair had darkened into a brown-blond shade that looked gorgeous with his skin tone, as seen in this photo from May 2004. He also grew out his hair a bit, and his longer locks balanced out his relatively long face shape.
William's dark blond hair made his blue eyes pop in 2007
William, Prince of Wales was on a break from his relationship with Catherine, Princess of Wales in May 2007, and he certainly looked ready to steal a few hearts when he attended a soccer match in London at the time. Prince William looked dapper in a dark gray suit and with neat and short hair, its dark blond hue making his blue eyes stand out. While his single era didn't last long as he got back together with Kate Middleton soon after, this hairstyle was here to stay.
William's hairline was receding by his 2011 royal wedding with Kate
Although Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her sister Pippa Middleton ultimately became the stars of the former's royal wedding in April 2011, the groom, William, Prince of Wales, also cut a dashing figure in his red Irish Guards uniform for the ceremony, looking like a Disney prince come to life. Prince William's once-thick hair was already noticeably thinning at the crown, and his hairline had started receding at just 28 years old, but that didn't take away from the beauty of his and Kate Middleton's wedding photos.
William's 2013 hairstyle reflected his new status
Married for two years and with a baby on the way, William, Prince of Wales officially transitioned from international heartthrob to family man in 2013, and his hair appeared to reflect this change. Prince William sported a combover when he attended the wedding of his longtime friend, Thomas Van Straubenzee, in June of that year, though with noticeably less hair on top compared to his 2011 royal wedding. He kept the thicker hair on the sides of his head neat and well-groomed, but his untamed curls left him looking a bit disheveled.
A buzzcut leveled up William's appearance in 2018
William, Prince of Wales continued to rock the comb-over look for the next few years, but by 2017, he didn't have many long strands left on top to cover his bald spot when he was pictured during a royal engagement in London (above left). Perhaps Prince William thought it was time for a change as months later, he debuted a buzz cut while visiting a children's hospital in January 2018 (above right). Just as the look worked for Jason Statham, the hairstyle elevated the royal's appearance and instantly took years off him.
William fully embraced his baldness
Rather than wear a toupee or get a hair transplant, William, Prince of Wales continued to be bald and proud. By 2023, Prince William's hairline had receded to the back of his head, and he was almost entirely bald on top (pictured above). He didn't shy away from joking about it, saying in a 2023 video: "I don't know if you guys have heard about the Earthshot Prize, but it's an initiative I started two years ago now. Although it's been about four years in the making. I had hair when it started."
William reached another peak in his appearance after hitting his 40s
In August 2024, William, Prince of Wales went full Jason Statham when he was seen with a beard for the first time in nearly two decades. While not all of his bearded looks have been great, the facial hair better complements Prince William's balding mane than the clean-shaven look he sported for years. And rather than looking like a teen trying to cosplay a mature man back in 2008, the future king pulled off the beard much better at 43, as pictured here in Switzerland in 2025.