'He forgot to carry his hair': Prince Harry makes an appearance but it's his balding head that steals the limelight

The video got a lot of comments

• Prince Harry's hair sparked social media buzz during his London court appearance
• Meghan Markle's old video shows Harry with more hair, sparking online jokes.
• Fans compared Harry's hair loss to Prince William, referencing past comments

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Prince Harry’s appearance at a London court this week for his legal battle against a major media group unexpectedly shifted online attention away from the case and onto his hair, triggering a wave of social media commentary.

The scrutiny followed a recent throwback post shared by Meghan Markle on January 17, as part of a popular 10 year nostalgia trend recalling moments from 2016. The trend has been associated with memories ranging from Brexit debates and YouTube makeup tutorials to the release of Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Meghan’s black and white video featured the couple dancing in an open grassy field, while another image showed them embracing in water during one of their early dates in Botswana. In both visuals, Prince Harry appeared with noticeably thicker and fuller hair.

Just two days later, on January 19, the Duke of Sussex returned to the United Kingdom to attend court proceedings related to his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers. Observers quickly pointed out that his hairline appeared significantly more receded compared to the images shared by Meghan, while his beard looked fuller. The contrast prompted widespread discussion and mockery online.

Fans and critics alike took to social media to comment on the apparent difference. “Umm did Harry leave his hair in Montecito? Because Meghan’s 'recent' video shows him with plenty of hair, but in the UK today he’s alarmingly bald… so either that clip is OLD, or he forgot to carry his hair,” one user wrote.

Another remarked, “His toupee slipped off in the car?” A third added, “Honestly, it looks like it did. One minute it’s 'full coverage,' next minute it’s scalp city. That hair situation is not staying consistent at all.”

Several users also drew comparisons between Prince Harry and his elder brother, Prince William, who has been open about his own hair loss. “Honestly, if he hadn’t mocked William’s hair loss, most people wouldn’t even comment,” one person said. Another wrote, “Alarmingly bald, I believe is what [harry] called his brother. What does he call his current state of hair loss?”

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry had described Prince William’s baldness as “alarming” and “more advanced than mine,” adding that his brother’s resemblance to their late mother, Princess Diana, had “faded.”

While the legal proceedings remain ongoing, the unexpected focus on Prince Harry’s changing appearance has once again highlighted how closely the Duke of Sussex’s public image is scrutinised, often overshadowing the issues he returns to the United Kingdom to address.