The Prince of Wales paid a visit to troops from the Mercian Regiment at Picton Barracks in Bulford, Wiltshire, where it was revealed he was contemplating a major style change.
Dressed in camouflage gear and sporting the regimental beret in his capacity as Colonel-in-Chief, William encountered numerous officers proudly displaying moustaches.
The trendy look prompted the future king to quip about potentially trimming his beard down to just a moustache.
Lieutenant Jack Austin, 23, from south Manchester, revealed he had raised the topic of facial hair during their conversation.
Prince William joked he would shave off his beard meeting army troops today
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“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’,” the officer recalled.
The moustache trend among officers began during their deployment to Estonia, with Lt Austin explaining that several of them grew the facial hair while stationed in the Baltic nation and “it snowballed from there”.
Lieutenant Harris Debonnaire, 26, claimed credit for starting the look, having initially grown his bushy moustache for the Movember charity campaign. “It just grew on me,” he joked.
The officer was accompanied by his mother Maxine Debonnaire, 63, from Gillingham, Kent, who took the opportunity to playfully embarrass her son in front of royalty.
“He was out every night when he came back and sometimes during the day,” she teased about his social calendar following his return from the six-month deployment.
“I’m very proud of him, very proud. I keep telling everyone my son is an officer in the Army.”
The Prince of Wales also observed urban warfare exercises during his visit
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The Prince of Wales also spent time speaking with female military personnel, predominantly sergeants working across various fields including administration, engineering and medicine.
The prince raised a new initiative designed to bring servicewomen together for regular discussions, which the group described as “welcomed” and particularly beneficial for those lacking a female presence in their direct chain of command.
The Mercian Regiment counts approximately 40 women among its 800-strong force.
Conversation turned to the Army’s zero tolerance policy on unacceptable sexual behaviour, implemented in 2022.
Captain Maria Bell acknowledged progress, stating: “The Army’s moved forward a lot over the past couple of years as regards the USB policy that’s come out and signposting.”
However, she emphasised that further investment in training and education was needed beyond what she described as a “tick-box exercise”.
The soldiers William met had returned to the UK last December following a six-month posting to Estonia as part of Britain’s contribution to Nato forces.
The prince had previously travelled to Estonia in March last year to visit the Mercian troops during their deployment.
The future King met with the families of serving personnel
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During his barracks visit, William observed urban warfare training exercises through live drone footage.
The 2024 rule change permitting Army personnel to grow full beards marked a significant modernisation of the service, bringing it in line with policies already in place at the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, while also aiming to boost recruitment.
When the Debonnaire family quizzed William on his sporting preferences, asking whether he favoured football or rugby, the prince confirmed his allegiance to football and his beloved Aston Villa.