Prince William's confidant reveals what Kate really thinks about his famous beard

It's no secret that royal followers love William's rugged facial hair - and now a former aide to the Prince has revealed what his wife Princess Kate thinks of his beard...

Prince William's beard has gone down a storm with royal fans - but what does his wife Princess Kate actually think about his new look?

The future king first debuted his rugged facial hair last summer when he appeared in a video alongside Kate to congratulate Team GB athletes. And it seems as though it's here to stay, with William continuing to rock his beard in the many months that have followed.

Now his former communications secretary and close confidant, Jason Knauf, has filmed for a special episode of 60 Minutes Australia and shared some surprising royal revelations, including details of a major mishap over the birth of Princess Charlotte, and how the Prince of Wales dealt with his wife's cancer diagnosis.

He was also asked about William's newly grown facial hair. "I love it. I think it's great. But I've talked to him about it or tried to talk to him about it. He's like, 'It's here. I have a beard. No further conversation'," Jason said.

When asked if Kate was a fan of the beard, he mused: "If she didn't like it, it wouldn't be there. I could tell you that!"

While Kate might be a fan, it seems the couple's daughter Princess Charlotte took some convincing. William was asked about his stubble at the end of a four-day visit to Cape Town in November, and he admitted: "Charlotte didn't like it the first time. I got floods of tears the first time I grew a beard, so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second and I convinced her it was going to be okay."

When one of the reporters told the Prince that his new facial hair gives him a laid-back, 'relaxed' look, William expressed surprise. "It's interesting you say that, because I couldn't be less relaxed this year, so it's very interesting you're all seeing that," he said of the previous 12 months, which saw both his wife, Princess Kate, and father, King Charles, diagnosed with cancer. "But it's more a case of just crack on and you've got to keep going," he said.

It comes after Prince Harry once claimed that William was jealous of his beard, and the fact he was allowed to have facial hair at his wedding, whereas William was not.

According to military dress codes at the time, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. But he sought special permission from the Queen - something that reportedly infuriated his sibling.

Harry wrote about 'beard-gate' in his tell-all memoir Spare . "And yet I now dared to make another ask – Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard? Not a small ask either," he said. "A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army."

When William found out he had been granted permission, Harry said he "became livid" and claimed his older brother said: "You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes."

According to Harry, William would not let the issue drop, with the argument continuing for more than a week. It reportedly culminated with William ordering Harry to shave it off.

The Duke claimed he responded by saying: "For the love of God, Willy, why does this matter so much to you? 'Because I wasn't allowed to keep my beard.' Ah, there it was. After he'd come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he'd been denied."