Prince William’s does not with to return to his duties after recent event during the summer: see more

Prince William is back to work in London — with a new look! — after a summer respite with Kate Middleton and their family.

On Sept. 5, the Prince of Wales, 42, stepped out in London to visit the Homelessness: Reframed exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery. The display was created in collaboration with the Eleven Eleven Foundation and Prince William’s Homewards campaign, launched in June 2023 from the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation with the goal of ending homelessness for good.

In a style surprise, Prince William stepped out with some summer stubble, wearing facial hair for the second time in recent weeks. While the Prince of Wales is known to typically go clean-shaven, he appeared with a beard for the first time in eight years in the Aug. 11 video he and Princess Kate released to congratulate Team Great Britain on their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics. William seemed to shave a few weeks later, and was without the beard when he drove to Crathie Kirk church near Balmoral Castle in Scotland with Kate on Aug. 25

William’s latest engagement kickstarts his return to more frequent public engagements following a brief summer break with his wife and their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Continuing Queen Elizabeth’s informal tradition, the Prince and Princess of Wales traditionally retreat from the spotlight from late July through August for time off to rest and recharge. William’s last official event was the UEFA European Championship with Prince George in Germany on July 14, which he attended as the president of the Football Association, the governing body of English soccer.

Homelessness: Reframed highlights the complexities of homelessness across the U.K. and invites the public to better understand the stories of individuals who have been affected as they share their experiences through art. The gallery enables the Prince of Wales to publicize positive stories that show “this is an issue that can be prevented and ended,” his spokesman previously said.

A statement from Kensington Palace emphasized that a central objective of Homewards is “to change the narrative and challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes around homelessness,” and the power of the gallery underscores that point.