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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Rebecca Russell & Sophie Goodall

Resurfaced photos of Prince William's beard have sparked comparisons to his ancestors

Photographs that have resurfaced on social media of the Duke of Cambridge with a beard have sparked comparisons to two of his ancestors. The pictures, which were taken on Christmas morning in 2008, show William walking with his family to the Christmas morning church service in Sandringham.

According to MyLondon, it was never made clear why he had decided to grow a beard, however, many believe it may have been an attempt to disguise his identity while embarking on an SBS mission before he entered the RAF. The Prince of Wales also grew a beard while on Naval exercises in Alaska in 1975.

While comments on Twitter were split between admiration and disdain for the facial hair, royal fans were quick to point out how similar he looked to two monarchs in particular. The main comparison was between William and his great-great grandfather, King George V.

One user wrote: "WOW King George V Related for sure", alongside a picture of the former monarch in his Naval uniform.

Another agreed: "The resemblance is uncanny", while a final added: "George V vibes in a good way, of course."

Prince William and King George V (Getty)

While the post attracted similar comments about the likeness between the Duke of Cambridge and the Queen's grandfather, others suggested that there was another former king that William looked like - his great-great-great grandfather, King Edward VII - specifically when he was much younger.

One person commented: "Somewhat reminiscent of his great-great-great grandfather, Edward VII".

A young King Edward VII (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Another suggested that William looked like the former king and his younger brother, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, saying: "More Edward VII (1870's) or his brother Prince Alfred than George V."

A final fan quipped: "Wow - he looks so much like King Edward VII and the last Russian Tsar with that beard!"

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