Prince Harry was one of several representatives from the Royal Family to attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in London.
The 33-year-old, who retired from active service two years ago, appeared as a senior Blues and Royals officer and stood beside his brother, William, throughout the ceremony.
As highlighted by a report in The Mirror, Prince Harry was accused of breaking military rules on the occasion as he was seen with a beard.
“Prince Harry is letting us all down,” a serving member in the elite cavalry regiment told The Mirror. “There’s no place for beards in the Queen’s cavalry. He should have shaved it off for such an important day.”
The Mirror report makes clear that British Army rules insist that beards are largely forbidden, although some exceptions – such as wearing a beard for religious reasons or when suffering from a skin complaint – can be made. Members of the forces who are serving behind enemy lines or on covert operations are also allowed to grow a beard, though they must be clean-shaven when on parade.
Despite this, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence has since appeared to tell MailOnline that the Prince’s beard had not broken any rules, as he was no longer a serving member.
‘On background I can confirm that Prince Harry is no longer a serving officer and therefore does not have to comply with any of these regulations,’ the spokesperson said.
‘He is, however, a member of the Royal Family and at times his duties require him to don the uniform of a tied or associated regiment and does so with a beard, as did his great-great-grandfather before him.’
