See Prince Harry’s New Beard in Various Arctic Poses

Image may contain Face Human Person Prince Harry and Head

After being waylaid in Cape Town due to inclement Antarctic weather, Prince Harry and company have safely landed in Novo, Antarctica. But the climate has see-sawed, apparently, as the mild conditions will make the trek to the South Pole even more challenging than it would be ordinarily. Quoth the update on the Walking with the Wounded Facebook page: “Ironically the milder temperatures of approx 32 [degrees Fahrenheit] meant wet conditions for skiing described as ‘miserable.’.”

But we are severely burying the lede here, as . . . Prince Harry now has a beard! Yes, the beard is red. No, it actually doesn’t look bad! And no, we don’t know how any of the other participants are able to concentrate on trudging through the snow or whatever in the presence of this emerging ginger marvel, either.

If you want to see the beard in action, you’re in luck, as Sky News is posting all kinds of “behind-the-scenes” pictures from the expedition on Twitter. Here’s the beard “making a spare set of boot laces.” Here it is in very close proximity to Dominic West. The beard has an artsy side, too: check it out taking some photos. And it can be goofy!

Meanwhile, as he waits to begin the movement to the Pole, Harry talked to reporters today for the first time, divulging that brother William was jealous of Harry’s trip: “My brother, yeah, I think he’s just quite jealous that I managed to get away from a screaming child.” (George no doubt just told Kate to “lose” Harry’s invitation to his first birthday party.)

And that broken toe that occurred a few weeks before the trip? Harry says it’s resulted in much ribbing from his fellow travelers: “I obviously broke my toe hoping to get out of the trip, that was a massive fail on my part,” he joked. “Friends of mine said I really should have gone that step further and break a leg, but I chose not to. My toe is now 95 percent, so I'm fine and even if i mention my toe I see Duncan turn around laugh at me, mock me, so whatever setbacks I've had is irrelevant against these guys, it was always going to be.”

Funny, humble, and hirsute? Antarctica seems to be doing the impossible: making Prince Harryeven more appealing.