The Prince of Wales has playfully suggested he might shave his beard and adopt a moustache after seeing several Army officers sporting the look. William made the light-hearted remark during a visit to troops from the Mercian Regiment at their Wiltshire barracks, where he serves as Colonel-in-Chief.
Dressed in camouflage uniform and the regimental beret, the Prince met soldiers from the 1st Battalion who returned last December from a six-month deployment to Estonia as part of Nato forces. He also engaged with female soldiers, discussing challenges they face in the Army, and observed urban warfare training via drone footage.
In the officers' mess at Picton Barracks, Bulford, the future king chatted with officers and their families. Lieutenant Jack Austin, 23, from south Manchester, who sported a moustache, confirmed he discussed his facial hair with the Prince. 'It started in Estonia, a few of us officers grew moustaches and it snowballed from there,' he said. 'I brought it up when I was chatting to the prince and he said “maybe I should get rid of the beard and just have the moustache”.'
In 2024, the Army officially allowed soldiers and officers to grow full beards, overturning a long-standing rule to modernise the service, improve recruiting, and align it with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. William joked with Maxine Debonnaire, 63, from Gillingham, Kent, and her son Lieutenant Harris Debonnaire, 26, who served in Estonia. Mrs Debonnaire teased her son about how much time he spent out after returning from deployment, saying, 'He was out every night when he came back and sometimes during the day.'
The mother and son also quizzed William about his love of sport, asking if he had been watching his beloved Aston Villa football club and which he preferred, football or rugby; the prince answered football. Lt Debonnaire, sporting a bushy moustache, said he had been the first among the officers deployed to Estonia to grow one, originally for the Movember charity campaign, and 'it just grew on me', he joked.
