Prince William is a royally good sport.
The Prince of Wales, 42, cracked a joke about his thinning hair while in the West Midlands in England on Tuesday.
Prince William greeted a slew of locals and one woman in particular â who sported bright red hair â caught his eye during the walk-through.
Prince William (right) visited the FA Referee Training Course. Chris Jackson-Getty/POOL supplied by Splash News / SplashNews.com
Prince William (right) compliments a well-wisherâs fiery hair. AP
The royal was visiting the Sporting Khalsa Football Club in Willenhall to oversee a referee training course organized by the Football Association, which he is a patron of.
The goal of this week is to recruit 1,000 individuals from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds for various referee roles.
âLook at your hair! Itâs fantastic,â William said to the woman, who had a short fiery red head of hair, in footage posted to X.
Prince William is greeted by well-wishers during an official visit to the FA Referee Training Course. AP
Prince William visits the FA Referee Training Course. ZUMAPRESS.com
âWish I had hair like that,â he teased with a laugh. âI know, Iâve not a chance.â
This isnât the first time Prince William made a self-deprecating crack at his God-given locks â or lack thereof.
The British royal previously joked that he âhad hairâ at the 2020 launch of his environmental award, the Earthshot Prize.
Talking about the background of the prize, William addressed the crowd: âI donât know if you guys have heard about the Earthshot Prize, but itâs an initiative I started about two years ago. Now, although itâs been about four years in the making, I had hair when it started. Itâs designed as an environmental prize tackling the worldâs greatest environmental problems.â
Prince William attends the celebrations for Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey on March 10, 2025. Samir Hussein/WireImage
In 2017, William was visiting a cafe that was set up by a homeless charity and joked with the hairstylist next door, Taz Kabria, âI donât have much hair, I canât give you much business.â
But over the summer, Prince William sent the internet into a frenzy when he rocked a beard for the first time in 16 years.
The Prince of Wales typically goes for the clean-shaven look, but in August, he appeared alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, to congratulate Team Great Britain for their 2024 Paris Olympics success. In the clip, William had a full beard â something he hadnât worn in public since 2008.
Prince William visited the FA Referee Training Course. Chris Jackson-Getty/POOL supplied by Splash News / SplashNews.com
Prince William. Chris Jackson-Getty/POOL supplied by Splash News / SplashNews.com
âI love it. I think itâs great,â his former royal aide, Jason Knauf, said in a February interview with â60 Minutes Australia.â
âBut Iâve talked to him about it â or tried to talk to him about it. Heâs like, âItâs here. I have a beard.â No further conversation.’â
When asked if the Princess of Wales approved of the scruff, Knauf quipped, âIf she didnât like it, it wouldnât be there. I could tell you that.â
Prince William in Willenhall, England. Chris Jackson-Getty/POOL supplied by Splash News / SplashNews.com
Prince William is far less concerned by what the public thinks about his facial hair. In fact, the former aide also revealed the beloved couple has no interest in the âfame and celebrityâ that comes with being a royal.
âNeither of the prince or the princess would choose to be public figures,â Knauf admitted.
âTheyâre not that interested in the fame and celebrity that comes with it. In fact, not really interested at all. I think that makes it quite interesting in todayâs world to see people out there doing their jobs but for the right reasons.â
Prince William rocked a beard in August. Instagram / @princeandprincessofwales
He also noted that Kate and William donât try to control the narrative on social media.
âI donât think anyone can control the image of anyone in todayâs media world, social media world,â Knauf said. âYou just canât. All you can do is help people be themselves.â
âWith both of these people, the prince and the princess, what you see is what you really get behind the scenes as well.â