United Kingdom: land army soldiers allowed to wear beards

As of this Friday, March 29, in the United Kingdom, army soldiers are allowed to grow beards and wear them, even during service or a ceremony.

This ends a ban dating back more than 100 years, reports The Telegraph.

The move comes as the army faces increasing difficulties in recruiting new soldiers. The Minister of Defense declared in this regard that the ban on wearing a beard was “ridiculous” and called on the institution to “modernize“.

The king’s approval

As an army spokesperson explained to the BBC, this change was decided after long, month-long discussions within the institution. Management collected many opinions and concluded: “We listened to our staff and took action.”

According to a source cited by The Telegraph, reluctance arose from the fact that gas masks do not work with beards. “But if there is a chemical threat, people will shave,” said the same source.

The announcement was made in a four-minute video message to troops. “Achieving a result took a little longer than expected due to the large number of stakeholders involved, including His Majesty the King, our politicians and our allies,” the message explained.

Exceptions

The Army was the last corps to refuse the beard since the Navy and the Air Force had already authorized it for several years. Until now, only religious or medical considerations (skin disease for example) could allow an exception.

The troops were told, however, that these beards would need to be “groomed.” “Our standards cannot fall. The army has a reputation for professionalism and deportment, both among our allies and the British public,” the army said.

Additionally, there may be special occasions when soldiers will be required to be clean shaven “when circumstances require.”

Prince Harry’s beard

Over the past centuries, the rules surrounding the wearing of beards and mustaches have fluctuated in the United Kingdom, until 1916 when they were banned. The debate was notably relaunched with Prince Harry who, although he left the army in 2015, continued to wear his uniform for a long time for official ceremonies, while keeping his beard. Several voices criticized him for not respecting army rules.

In France, as the Ministry of the Armed Forces website specifies, soldiers must have “a neat appearance, both in the haircut and in the shaving of the beard and mustache”.