Prince William Recalls the Style Change That Made Princess Charlotte Cry

Prince William's facial hair—or lack thereof—has been a topic of hot debate in recent months. But while most fans seem to welcome the sight of a little stubble on the royal, he recently revealed that one very special person in his life had a drastically different reaction.

At an Earthshot Prize event in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, William admitted that his daughter, Princess Charlotte, was heartbroken when her dad grew a beard, Us Weekly reported.

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“Charlotte didn’t like it the first time,” said William, 42. “I got floods of tears, so I [had] to shave it off. And then I grew it back. I thought, ‘Hang on a second,’ and I convinced her it was going to be okay.”

Since William's beard was back at the event, it's safe to say Charlotte, 9, has since made her peace with the more rugged look. But when reporters told the Prince of Wales that he seemed "more relaxed," he said that definitely wasn't the case.

Related: Fans in Love With Prince William’s "Glow Up" as He Flaunts New Beard During Work Outing

“It’s interesting you say that, cause I couldn’t be less relaxed this year, so it’s very interesting you’re all seeing that,” William admitted. “But it’s more a case of just crack on and you’ve got to keep going. I enjoy my work and I enjoy pacing myself and keeping sure that I have got time for my family, too.”

“It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life," he continued, referencing Kate Middleton and King Charles' cancer diagnoses. "So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult. But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

Next: Prince William Speaks Out About Kate Middleton's Health in New Update