Princess Charlotte made such a fuss when Prince William first grew his beard that he had no choice but to shave it at the time.

William, 42, sat down with a group of journalists as he wrapped up his trip to Cape Town, South Africa to promote the Earthshot Prize on Nov. 7, and among deeper topics like Princess Kate and King Charles’s cancer journeys, he opened up about his headline-making beard for the first time.

Prince William is speaking out about his new beard for the first time, revealing that his daughter, Princess Charlotte, had to be convinced to accept it