keeping up with the royals

Prince William Has Not Mastered the Art of the Ponytail

Prince William.
Prince William. Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images

On Wednesday, Prince William and Kate Middleton went on an official royal visit to Blackpool, U.K., when the prince warned a local man about something serious: Ponytails are hard.

Prince William attended an event for new dads last month, during which he kindly offered them words of advice (including tips about diapers, such as, “It’s never straightforward”). And now, per People, he has taken to commiserating with fellow dads about the difficulty of doing one’s daughter’s hair.

At the event, a man from a group called Dads 4 Life — which is focused on “the importance of dads,” a very nice message — told Prince William and Kate that he had a difficult time getting the hang of doing his kid’s hair, and then revealed that he finally learned via YouTube tutorial. Prince William then sagely replied, “Never try to do a ponytail! Nightmare.”

Kate reportedly asked the father, “Have you tried to do a plait [braid]? It’s the weaving … really hard,” which reminded us all that she recently helped braid someone’s hair at an event at a primary school in Northern Ireland:

Prince William then divulged, “I can do [Princess Charlotte’s] ponytail, but that’s about it, as I don’t have enough hair to practice on!”

Ah, Prince William. Do not worry. You are not alone. I, and so many others, have yet to master the art of the perfect ponytail — which I’d say would be similar to the impeccable updo Kate wore in Blackpool that day. But never fear, here’s a handy GIF tutorial for one such style.

Prince William Has Not Mastered the Art of the Ponytail