Prince William is embracing baldness with his new haircut!

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.

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.

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.