Clean Marines: Soldiers ordered to shave for King's parade despite rules allowing Commandos to have sculpted beard

By CAMERON CHARTERS and MARK NICOL, DEFENCE EDITOR Published: 17:36, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 17:42, 17 August 2026 Royal Marines Commandos were ordered to be clean shaven for a parade in front of King Charles despite rules allowing the elite soldiers to have beards. The order to remove facial hair came on June 5 when the King presented flags known as the Colours to 40, 42, 43 and 45 Commando at Windsor Castle. Despite the Ministry of Defence (MOD) relaxing regulations just last year to allow Commandos to have beards, the Daily Mail can reveal officers ordered their men to shave off their beards before appearing before the King. Observers of the parade, including a former Royal Marines Lieutenant Colonel, noted that not one of the Commandos had any facial hair. Praising the no beards order, Lieutenant Colonel Ewen Southby-Tailyour wrote in the letters section of official journal of the Royal Marines the Globe and Laurel: ‘The Band was, as usual, superb and how wonderful it was to see not one scruffy beard beneath a white helmet.’ It was initially reported that the head of the Commandos, Sir Gwyn Jenkins the First Sea Lord and Commandant General Royal Marines gave the order, but a MOD spokeswoman insisted this was not the case. A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: 'The King's presentation of new colours to the Royal Marines in June this year was an historic and high-profile occasion that required immaculate presentation and uniformity across all ranks. 'Under Royal Navy dress regulations, when undertaking ceremonial or large public events, senior officers can order the alteration of facial hair.' King Charles III, who is Captain General Royal Marines, during the ceremony for the presentation of New Colours to the 40, 42, 43 and 45 Commando Royal Marines, at Windsor An MOD source said that Sir Gwyn did not make the order but that it was made on the day unit commanders. In 2024, the MOD began to allow recruits to keep their facial hair, but Commandos were not allowed to have a beard until last January. According to military rules all beards and moustaches must connect and be cut off the neck and cheek, with bristles full bodied and grown to a length between 2.5mm and 25.5mm. However, officers retain the power to order soldiers to shave their beards off if they believe it is appropriate according to rules in the dress regulations for large public engagements. However, officers cannot order beards to be shaved off if a soldier says his facial hair is part of his religion. Before 2024, Britain’s special forces such as the SAS, were allowed to have facial hair. The ceremony which the King presided over in June saw the Colours bearing his Royal Cypher presented to four commando units at the same time which had never happened before. Colours are of great significance to soldiers as they represent the history of a regiment and were historically carried into battle to act as marker points on a battlefield.