Beards on parade at Trooping the Colour after Army rule change

Steve Bird
·3-min read
Members of the Irish Guards march along The Mall towards Horse Guards Parade
The Army lifted its ban on beards in March - PA

Soldiers marching in Trooping the Colour were allowed to wear beards for the first time in more than 100 years.

The Army lifted its ban on beards in March amid fears that it could be deterring some youngsters from signing up.

Dotted among the 1,400 soldiers in the parade on Saturday were soldiers sporting a variety of beards beneath their bearskin hats.

However, the style of grooming differed very little as rules regarding facial hair remained strict.

All the beards had to be “full-set” - with a moustache - and be trimmed neatly off the cheekbone and neck. Bristles had to be thick - not patchy - and the length had to be between 2.5mm and 25.5mm, or between a Grade 1 and Grade 8.

‘Exaggerated colours’

Most importantly, soldiers were told their beards must not display any “exaggerated colours”.

In 2018, the Army launched a review into its ban on beards surrounding fears the rule was putting off some “fashion-conscious” youngsters from joining.

Whilst some facial hair was allowed on the grounds of religion or for medical reasons, soldiers were not permitted to have beards, except for certain ceremonial or traditional posts.

Writing about the review in the service magazine Soldier, Captain Dave Somerville, an officer in the Royal Engineers, said he spotted “a large percentage of potential soldiers were sporting facial hair” when he attended a recruitment event.

He added: “It made me wonder how many of them were put off joining up because they can’t have a beard.”

A member of the Welsh Guards, seen here at House Guards Parade
All the beards had to be 'full-set' and be trimmed neatly off the cheekbone and neck - Sgt Donald C Todd

The review found an “overwhelming majority” of both serving and reservist soldiers wanted a policy change to allow beards.

In 2019, the Royal Air Force allowed personnel to grow beards. Shortly after becoming Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps called the decision to ban beards “ludicrous”.

Saturday’s parade also saw the return of three of the five military horses that were injured after bolting through London earlier this year.

Five Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment horses were injured after being spooked by rubble being dropped through a plastic tunnel while on an exercise in Belgravia on April 24.

‘Swift and successful’

The horses Tennyson, Trojan and Vanquish took part in the King’s Birthday Parade after making “swift and successful” recoveries and showing “such aptitude and eagerness”, the Army said.

Tennyson was riding in the Sovereign’s Escort at the rear rank of the second division. He was ridden by that division’s most experienced rider, Corporal of Horse Harvey, to help provide “extra confidence”.

Trojan and Vanquish joined the King’s Life Guard by providing the ceremonial guard for the official entrance to the Royal Palaces, the Army said.

All three horses underwent rehabilitation at Hyde Park Barracks and a period of “expert respite care” at equine charity The Horse Trust following the incident, before returning to service last month.

The other two more seriously injured horses, Vida and Quaker, remain at The Horse Trust and “will do so for as long as they need”, the Army said.

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