Prince William leaves fans ‘in mourning’ as they spot huge change during Kate outing

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been enjoying a quiet summer with plenty of family time.

And in one final trip before Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis head back to school in early September, the family-of-five head to Balmoral to spend time with the rest of the Royal Family.

They joined King Charles and Queen Camilla as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, for the bank holiday weekend in the Scottish Highlands, in their annual holiday north of the border. And fans got a glimpse of the royals during their Balmoral break as cameras snapped the Firm heading to church on Sunday morning.

William was seen driving a Land Rover containing wife Kate and their three children to Crathie Kirk. The family were turned out in their Sunday best, with William in a smart suit and Kate wearing a chic Holland Cooper coat paired with a fedora hat. But royal fans claimed say they were left ‘in mourning’ over one detail with William’s appearance – his much-talked-about beard appeared to have been shaved off.

Several weeks ago, William and Kate appeared in a video that was posted on their Instagram page congratulating Team GB for its performance at the Paris Olympics. Dressed casually in a polo shirt, William said: “Well done on all you achieved” in the clip. But many viewers were left distracted by his stubble. However, while driving to Crathie Kirk on Sunday, the Prince of Wales was clean-shaven, with the beard gone.

And one royal fan joked on X: “I’m officially entering a period of mourning for William’s beard. I only saw it once, but I’ll always remember it.” Another quipped: “Sisterwives, we are here today to mourn the passing of a dear lover – the magnificent beard. This beard was no mere follicular accessory – it was a symbol of ruggedness and undeniable charm. We will miss it. Goodbye, everloved Beard.”

One fan wrote: “Gone but not forgotten” while another said: “Reading all these comments, all in mourning for our lovely Prince’s beard. I love it so much.”

The Wales family’s appearance at Balmoral marked the first time that Kate has been seen in public since she presented the Wimbledon men’s singles trophy last month. The princess announced in March that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

She made her first public appearance after announcing her diagnosis at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London in June and gave Carlos Alcaraz his championship trophy at Wimbledon in July. According to a body language expert, Kate showed three key but subtle signs that indicated how she was feeling. Judi James said the princess was “chatty and animated” on being seen being driven to church.