Prince William Surprises with Bold New Look After Summer Break with Kate and Kids – His Beard Is Back!

Prince William’s Beard Is Back as He Returns to Work After Summer with Kate Middleton and Kids
The Prince of Wales might be switching up his look as his fall schedule revs up

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.

The Prince of Wales is due to meet artists whose work is featured in the presentation, which is divided into three parts: “Invisible Words,” “Reframed” and “Open Doors.” He will also meet with people whose lived experiences have inspired some of the pieces. Artists who contributed to the exhibit include Marc Quinn, Dave Tovey, Simone Brewster, Opake and the poet Surfing Sofas.

William will also hear from celebrated British photographer Rankin, who worked on the exhibit (and previously photographed Queen Elizabeth). He’ll then spend time with children from Creative Kids, a charity that participated in one of the workshops making art for the “Open Doors” portion of the presentation.

The section features doors created by kids and young people from Homewards’ six flagship locations across the U.K. — Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland and Sheffield — where it is working to help make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurrent.

Homelessness: Reframed opened on Aug. 7, and Prince William paid a visit before it ends on Sept. 20. The Prince of Wales stayed updated on the artwork and the people behind the moving pieces and looked forward to seeing it in person, a royal source said.

“He understands reframing the talk about the issue is important,” Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, previously told PEOPLE. The Passage is a charity that helps the unhoused in London and which Prince William supports, much like his late mother Princess Diana once did.

“Homewards is shifting the narrative and that it shouldn’t be something we manage but that we prevent,” Clarke said. He added, “There are so many other areas and causes he could pick that are easier to solve or are more palatable perhaps…We’re just very blessed to have him leading from the front.”

Since its opening on Aug. 7, Homelessness: Reframed has had over 25,000 visitors, Prince William’s office said on Sept. 5, and the majority of those visitors have been between 25 to 34 years old. Donations made by visitors have generated over $6,600, which is being divided equally between both Centrepoint and The Passage, two charities that help the unhoused. Prince William is a patron of both organizations.

Pim Gregory, who serves as executive director of homelessness at the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, tells PEOPLE they have been thrilled with the impact that Homelessness: Reframed has had.

“The really pleasing part is the experiences of the visitors,” Gregory says. “Having 25,000 people here since it opened is a lot more than we were expecting. And the demographic of the visitors is young, and a lot of people who don’t know of us or the issue have come for the art, so we are hitting different audiences.”

The exhibition aims to show the different experiences and perspectives of those who have experienced homelessness or are still experiencing it, bucking stereotypes and providing a snapshot of the issue that is closer to reality — and shows how wide-reaching it is.

“The whole point is to reframe the issue of homelessness, and the stories represented here in the art show that,” Gregory says. “Visitors are going away seeing that homelessness is a societal problem. They get the point that this can happen to anyone. And also that there is optimism that something can be done.”

Homelessness: Reframed is one part of a series of strategic awareness-raising initiatives which include a two-part documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, set for release this fall and featuring the Prince of Wales and his work on the Homewards initiative.

“We have some way to go, and today will create another level of interest,” Gregory says. “It’s all part of demonstrating that it is possible to end homelessness and conveying the hope that it is possible to do so.”

He adds, “If people receive help at the right time, it can put them on an entirely different path altogether.”

Prince William and Princess Kate — who is continuing treatment for cancer — were most recently seen driving to church near Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Aug. 25, during the royal family’s historic summer stay at the private royal residence set on 50,000 acres.

The Princess of Wales shared the news about her health in March, and asked for “time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.” No date has been set around her return to work, and a palace insider previously told PEOPLE about how Balmoral would be restorative for her.

“She won’t have to be on center stage,” the insider said. “Being with her family and just being herself will give her energy. There will be plenty of time to focus on her recovery.”