An old rule that is disappearing. Starting Friday, March 29, in the United Kingdom, army soldiers can grow and wear beards, even during service or a ceremony. This ends a ban that dates back more than 100 years, The Telegraph reports.
The move comes as the military faces increasing difficulties recruiting new soldiers. The Minister of Defense declared in this regard that the ban on wearing a beard was “ridiculous” and asked the institution to “modernize.”
The king’s approval
As an army spokesperson explained to the BBC, this change was decided after month-long discussions within the institution. Management gathered many opinions and concluded: “We listened to our staff and took action.”
According to a source cited by The Telegraph, the reluctance arose from the fact that gas masks do not work with a beard. “But if there is a chemical threat, people will shave,” says 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 explains.
Exceptions
The Army was the last body to reject the beard, since the Navy and the Air Force had already authorized it for several years. Until now, only religious or medical considerations (skin diseases, for example) could allow an exception.
However, the troops were told that those beards would need to be “groomed.” “Our standards cannot fall. The Army has a reputation for professionalism and behaviour, 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 last few centuries, rules regarding the wearing of beards and mustaches have fluctuated in the United Kingdom, until 1916, when they were banned. The debate was revived in particular with Prince Harry, who, although he left the army in 2015, continued to wear his uniform for official ceremonies for a long time, keeping his beard. Several voices criticized him for not respecting army rules.
In France, as specified on the website of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, soldiers must have “a neat appearance, both in the haircut and in the shaving of the beard and mustache.”
Source: BFM TV
