The British army mulls allowing beards
Soldiers helped to spark the Victorian beard craze
“It is time to modernise,” was the message from Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, in an interview with The Times earlier this month. Mr Shapps was talking not about weaponry or strategic doctrines, but facial hair. The Army Board, a management committee for the service, is pondering whether to end a century-long ban on beards for soldiers.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Of whiskers and weapons”
From the December 23rd 2023 edition
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