Balding Brit prince's photos for charity show him with relatively full head of hair
Balding Brit prince's photos for charity show him with relatively full head of hairCould it be a trick of the light? Or is Prince William the first member of the Royal Family to dabble in, dare one say it, a touch of Grecian 2000?
Bald-faced lie: The unusually dark-haired Prince William on the cover
of Hello! magazine. The photo shoot was completed just before his tour
of Australia and New Zealand last month where several picturesu00a0left no
doubt about his thinning crown. pic/Getty ImagesA new portrait of the future king, taken only last month, shows him with a good covering of dark hair.
It is all the more striking because it was taken just before his royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, where several pictures left onlookers in no doubt about his thinning crown.
The prince has frequently been the butt of jokes due to his thinning dark-blonde hair.
The image is one of several appearing in Hello! this week after they were sold to the celebrity magazine for an undisclosed sum in aid of charity.
But while some make it look as if William has dyed his hair, it appears the change of colour may be down to either lighting or computer trickery because in other pictures his familiar dark blond locks are on display.
Responding to speculation, a spokeswoman for Prince William said yesterday, "The portraits are pieces of art altered for artistic effect."
What's new
The cover picture, showing the 27-year-old prince with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, smiling cheekily at the camera, was taken by a former drug addict and rough sleeper and is the first official royal portrait to be taken by a non-professional.
Jeff Hubbard (53) was eventually helped by Crisis, a British charity for single homeless people, and now has his own flat in London.
The charity persuaded William to let himself be photographed by Hubbard.
A double portrait signed by both men will be displayed at Somerset House in London from March 10 as part of the exhibition A Positive View before being auctioned for the charity.
Selling out?Members of the British royal family have been repeatedly criticised for offering tame interviews or pictures of
private events for commercial gain to Hello!
The Queen's grandson Peter Phillips was lambasted for selling the photographic rights to his 2008 wedding for a reported u00a3500,000 (Rs 4 crore).
The Duchess of York has also featured in lucrative spreads, as has Princess Michael of Kent and the Countess of Wessex.
Although the money from the sale of William's recent photos to Hello! will go to charity, there will be concern that the prince is allowing his "image rights" to be used for commercial advantage.
