Prince William may be the heir apparent to the throne of England, but lately he's been tackling a different kind of hairy situation that many men will understand.

Encroaching baldness.

Prince William debuted his new hairdo during a visit to the Evelina London Children's Hospital in London on Thursday. Daniel Leal-Olivas / Pool via AP

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Yes, the future king may soon rule over multiple countries, but he hasn't a single strand of control over the slow-moving disappearance of his hairline.

Which apparently has led him to take sudden, surprising action: On Thursday, while out on his princely duties at Evelina Children's Hospital in London, he revealed a new haircut in which the sides of his head have been nearly shaved clean.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in Sept. 2017, and on Wednesday. Sleek is good! Getty Images, EPA

There's still a hint of hair there, but he does seem to be edging toward a trend that's been popular among certain men for years — preemptive baldness.

Royalty has never been exempt from follicle follies; there even was a King Charles the Bald once. But in the past, wigs were the more likely course of action for monarchs.

These days, however, bald is beautiful in both ruled and rulers.

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