Soldiers’ beards divide opinion as Welsh Guards parade them at the Palace

It is a somewhat prickly debate that is continuing to divide opinion.

As the Army finally ended its 100-year-old ban on serving soldiers sporting beards, members of the Welsh Guards appeared on duty at Buckingham Palace proudly displaying an array of neatly trimmed facial hair.

The beards were posted to the Welsh Guards’ account on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption: “The beards have arrived! Like it or lump it, the beards are here!”

The decision was signed off by the King, as commander in chief of the Army, last month.

But royal approval does not equate to public support.

One former soldier was appalled at the very sight of facial hair on parade.

Robert Clark, who served in the Army for 15 years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, suggested the new look was “horrendous”.

“I spoke to friends in the Grenadier Guards, they couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“You don’t have the uniformity of everyone looking the same, which is the whole point of uniform and being regimented and disciplined. Even the drill sergeant was sporting a beard, which turned a lot of heads.

“They said it looks horrendous, the lack of uniformity, the lack of a regimented singular look. It’s quite shocking to see.”

Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans, and Northern Ireland, agreed that “appearance is everything” when it comes to the Guards.

“In many ways the whole purpose of the guard is to look uniform, to look very similar, to look smart,” he said.

“I think that with some wearing beards, some not wearing beards, it’s surprising for many people.”

‘It’s almost like next you will be having long hair’

Col Kemp warned that the relaxation of the rules might prove a slippery slope.

“It’s almost like maybe the next day you’ll be having long hair,” he added. “I don’t think it’s a great move personally but this is the modern world so I suppose things change. What can you do?

“I’m sure they are just as effective as fighting men with or without beards.”

Among the throngs of tourists outside Buckingham Palace, there was a little more support for the bearded soldiers.

“It’s perfectly fine and I wouldn’t have noticed,”  Jakob Hauter, 36, from Hamburg, said.

“It is probably a bit archaic to have banned them and I think that some of these things can be a bit over the top. But I have nothing against tradition, nothing against nice traditional uniforms or things that the tourists like.

“If they want to wear beards, let them wear beards.”

Waqar Haider, 32, a civil engineer from Islamabad, Pakistan, added: “I think it is a good thing if they are trimming. A little off here, a little off there.

“You have to properly maintain it to be well-dressed. Now they look like Prince Harry.”

The Duke of Sussex, who served in the Army for 10 years, would almost certainly be a fan.

His own beard has been the subject of much debate, even proving a bone of contention with his brother, the Prince of Wales.

William was said to have been “livid” that Harry was allowed to sport a beard on his wedding day, having ordered him to shave it off.

The fraternal argument continued “in person, on the phone, for more than a week”.

Harry accused his brother of being “competitive” because Queen Elizabeth II had ordered him to remove a beard he grew during a military assignment in 2008, but allowed Harry to keep his bristles.

In his memoir, Spare, the Duke revealed that he gave his elder brother “a quick history lesson” with the help of Google – showing images of Royal ancestors who were bearded and uniformed, such as Edward VII and George V.

Late Queen was not a fan of facial hair

Elizabeth II was famously never a fan of facial hair – and apparently ordered her husband to shave the beard he grew during a solo tour around the Commonwealth in 1965.

When Prince Philip returned on the Royal Yacht Britannia, his wife played a prank on him by arranging for everyone in the royal entourage – herself included – to put on fake whiskers just before he walked in.

The bearded soldiers in the Army may have had to wait until the King ascended the throne to get the green light to sport facial hair but the rules are strict.

Beards must be neat and are subject to review. Only a “full set beard” is allowed, while the length must be between 2.5mm and 25.5mm (one inch) and trimmed off the cheekbones and neck. There must be “no patchy or uneven growth” and “no exaggerated colours,” the policy states.

An Army spokesman said: “After an extensive review of our policy on personal appearance, the Chief of the General Staff last month directed that officers and soldiers may grow beards as long as they meet the required standards of grooming and appearance.

“We appreciate that change is often divisive and that not everyone will be in favour of the revised policy.

“However, our consultations showed clearly that the majority of our serving personnel and veterans were in favour of the change. We listened to our people.”