Prince William has sent out a message to budding young environmentalists as he launches a new Earthshot competition for children – and, in a change of style, he was clean shaven.

The Prince of Wales, 42, teamed up with long-running BBC children’s program Blue Peter to announce the competition, aimed at inspiring young people to take to focus on solutions for climate change.

However, after dazzling royal fans with his designer stubble on his first royal engagement post-summer as he went to see a homelessness exhibition, the royal father-of-three wasn’t sporting even a glimmer of facial hair.

Fans have gone wild for William’s neat and short beard in recent weeks, after he sent the internet into a frenzy with his appearance in a clip congratulating Team GB for their Olympics triumphs.

As he stood next to the Princess of Wales in a clip filmed at home, William displayed a ‘summer holiday’ beard which left many royal fans swooning. 

After stunning the world with his handsome stubble yesterday, Prince William has appeared clean shaven in a video for Blue Peter

The Prince of Wales pictured yesterday where he showed off his new rugged facial hair, much to the delight of his lusting fans

It seems William has dabbled with a few different looks over the last few months, swapping between clean-shaven and designer stubble in various appearances.

Although it’s unclear when the Blue Peter clip was filmed, it’s likely William took part in the competition promotion before yesterday. 

As he spoke to budding environmentalists, the father-of-three looked classic in a blue ensemble with a navy blazer and pale coloured open shirt.

Appearing in the new clip, which has been posted to the BBC’s social media channels, William revealed details for the new competition for children, which hopes to inspire the new generation to devise sustainable solutions for the planet.

He said: ‘I started the Earthshot Prize to search for solutions to the world’s biggest environmental challenges and we want to find the next generation of young inventors who can make a change.’

Entries for Earthshot will open today at 5pm for UK residents aged between 5 and 15 years of age and will close at the same time on 28th October.

The competition invites children to use their imagination to come up with solution based inventions to help the planet, including prizes in five different categories. 

There are awards to be one in the following categories:  Fix our Climate, Protect and Restore Nature Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, and build a waste free world. 

Champions of the competition will receive a winner’s award as well as the chance to a attend a VIP filming experience with Blue Peter.

Lucky winners will also attain a  copy of the Earthshot book ‘A Handbook for Dreamers and Thinkers, Solutions to Repair our Planet’ as well as an exclusive orange competition winner’s badge.

To acknowledge their achievements, Earthshot winners will earn the chance to be recognised by the prince himself.

William launched the competition for adults four years ago with the aim of finding solutions to the climate crisis.

At the awards ceremony for the Earthshot prize last year, William said we were in the ‘critical decade’ to try and set the planet on a ‘healthier’ path to deal with the climate crisis.

Since 2021, the award scheme has handed out £15million of prize money and sourced £50million of further support for 45 winners and finalists. 

The father-of-three looked classic as he delivered details of the competition, donning a typical blue ensemble with a navy blazer and pale coloured open shirt

Appearing in the new clip, which has been posted to the BBC’s social media channels, William revealed details for the new competition for children, which hopes to inspire the new generation to come up with sustainable solutions for the planet

Yesterday, the prince dedicated his first post-summer engagement to one of his most cherished causes as he visited the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London.

The heir to the throne was also reunited with his friend Dave Martin, a Big Issue vendor he has taken under his wing. 

Dave first became homeless in 2011 after moving to London but following an extraordinary journey, he now exchanges Christmas cards with the future King – and the pair have become close pals. 

The two showed the closeness of their bond as the prince shook Dave’s hand, and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. 

‘Dave, lovely to see you again. How have you been?’ William enthused.

‘I recognise this? Is this you?’ he said, speaking about a piece he contributed featuring abstract geometric shapes which represent aspects of his life including pathways, a roof over his head and windows to see the light.

Mr Martin said proudly of William: ‘He recognised my work straight away.’

Afterwards William told him: ‘If I don’t see you soon, take care.’

Prince William rocked a beard today as he returned to royal duties after his summer break

The Prince of Wales, 42, dedicated his first engagement back to one of his most cherished causes as he visited the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London

Prince William was reunited with Dave Martin, a Big Issue vendor with whom he has become close pals 

In June 2022, William quietly joined Dave to help sell The Big Issue on the streets of central London. 

And this July, he shared that he is more convinced than ever that homelessness can be eradicated for good.  

Homelessness: Reframed is designed to bring to life the breadth and complexities of homelessness and aims to help the public to engage with, and better understand, the stories of those who have experienced the issue.

This is a a central objective of the Homewards programme, which was launched by The Prince and The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales in June 2023, is to change the narrative and challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes around homelessness as well as eradicate homelessness in six key areas of the UK.

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William spoke about his passion to change public perception about homelessness, and was so engrossed the work that his half-hour visit to Homelessness: Reframed ran over by almost another hour.

Told that that visitor numbers had far exceeded expectations – instead of the 5,000 anticipated, more than 25,000 have walked through the doors of the six-week show in just 23 days – he said: ‘I am really, pleased, so pleased.’

Fans had been alarmed when it appeared William had shaved his stubble to go back to work, after the clean-shaven Prince was spotted attending a service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral. 

But William is clearly a fan of the new look, and had grown it out once more for his return to engagements on Thursday after spending summer with Princess Kate and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

Appearing in a recent Blue Peter promotional video for the prestigious Earshot competition, William donned his usual smooth look, though it’s likely that the video was filmed before the prince chose to grow out his famous stubble again.