The real reason we hardly ever see Prince William wearing his glasses at official engagements

Royal fans rarely get to see Prince William wearing his glasses despite the fact that he is a known spectacle wearer - this is the reason behind his decision. 

• Prince William, along with many other members of the Royal Family, relies on glasses to help his vision.
• However, the Prince is rarely seen wearing spectacles, and there is a good reason behind this decision.
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton's surprising food confession to 109-year-old royal fan.

In a BBC documentary titled, Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health, which aired in May 2020, Prince William opened up about his mental health - and revealed that he is less anxious when he isn't wearing his glasses. While this may sound a little confusing, the Prince explained that going without glasses made it easier when speaking to large crowds because he can't see them properly.

"My eyesight started to tail off a little bit as I got older, and I didn't used to wear contacts when I was working, so when I gave speeches I couldn't see anyone's face," he said. "And it helps, because it's just a blur of faces and because you can't see anyone looking at you. I can see enough to read the paper and stuff like that, but I couldn't actually see the whole room."

Prince William explained that this was a way of coping with anxiety - which is something he didn't realize when he first started the habit. 

He said, "I didn’t realize at the time but looking back I’m like that’s what helped because I couldn’t see everyone’s eyes, you don’t feel like the whole weight of the room is watching you."

Of course, the Prince has been snapped wearing his spectacles on a few occasions, but typically the press has caught him in private moments when he isn't on duty. For example, he was snapped wearing glasses at both the Rugby World Cup while he was there as a spectator with his wife. He was also seen wearing glasses while he was driving a car with his brother, wife, and son in the car at Christmas. 

This indicates that the Prince will wear contacts when attending engagements, as opposed to glasses, but when he is making a speech, he'd rather go without any eyewear. 

The Queen was seen wearing glasses on some occasions, but typically members of the Royal Family don't wear prescription glasses while they are on duty. While not many have discussed whether they need glasses or not, it is thought that they may opt for contact lenses while working instead of prescription glasses. 

However, this hasn't prevented the royals from wearing sunglasses when the sun is out. Princess Anne's wildly futuristic sunglasses prove she's always had a love for funky accessories, whereas younger members of the family such as the Princess of Wales, tend to opt for the best designer sunglasses when they are on a royal engagement.