The Royal Navy are allowed to grow beards. British soldiers used to be allowed to grow beards however that has been banned and now they have to parade clean shaven. Growing a beard can increase moral, and we believe this change could contribute to operational effectiveness as a result.
Many Middle Eastern and Indian cultures associated wisdom and power with facial hair. As a result, facial hair and moustaches became increasingly common among British soldiers during the great wars. During the Crimean War, all ranks were encouraged to grow full beards during winter. It is only more recently that stricter rules on facial hair have been introduced. We believe the current restrictions on British Army soldiers wearing facial hair should be removed.