Beards in the Victorian Naval Forces

• Before June 1869 British navy personnel were not allowed to grow a beard and had to shave. Whiskers on the side of the face were however allowed.
• From 1869 a full beard was allowed but moustaches by themselves were not allowed.
• From March 1892 moustaches without a full beard were allowed.

1892 Changes

Captain White had the regulation, that moustaches only could not be worn, repealed. The Argus, 19 March 1892.

1869 Changes

It was in 1869, during the time of these great changes in Naval Administration, that a concession was made to the naval service in the matter of shaving. Up to this year the rule in the Navy had been to shave clean or grow whiskers only. In March, 1869, Prince Leiningen, then captain of the Royal yacht, wrote to Mr. Childers a letter advocating the wearing of beards.

Any one who has been mate of a deck on board a ship of the line or a frigate (he wrote) knows what a trouble shaving is to the men. There is more bad language made use of during the quarter of an hour devoted to shaving than during any other part of the day; and no wonder! Jack has had three hours on deck, ever since 4 a.m. Perhaps he has been aloft during most of the time, or else he has been on the 'Look out,* steaming head to wind. Down at last he comes at six bells with his face as hard as iron. ... A bad razor, a small bit of broken looking-glass about the size of half a crown, very often a wet deck to stand on, the ship all the while rolling or pitching heavily. Such are the difficulties under which the British seaman shaves.



This letter was enclosed in one from the Queen, who subsequently wrote —

From the Queen.

Balmoral, June xx, 1869.

Has Mr. Childers ascertained anything on the subject of the beards? The old officers will certainly be against it; it should be referred to those now serving, and who look more to the comforts of the men than formerly.

A circular was accordingly addressed to all flag officers in command, and to the other Lords of the Admiralty, who all, with two exceptions, objected and disapproved.



To the Queen.

Admiralty, June 15, 1869.

Mr. Childers presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to forward a statement showing in abstract the views entertained by the several admirals commanding at the home ports, in the Mediterranean, and by the Naval members of the Board of Admiralty, on "the subject of wearing beards and moustaches in the Navy. At Dcvonport the Commander-in-Chief obtained the opinions of the captains and principal medical officers.

Mr. Childers humbly submits for your Majesty's consideration the draft of an order proposed to be issued on this subject.



From the Queen.

Windsor Castle, June 17, 1869,

The Queen thanks Mr, Childers very much for his communication on the subject of beards. She thinks the order will do extremely well. Her own personal feeling would be for the beards without the moustaches, as the latter have rather a soldierlike appearance; but then the object in view would not be obtained, viz, to prevent the necessity for shaving. Therefore it had better be as proposed, the entire beard, only it should be kept short and very clean.



From the Queen.

Windsor Castle, June 25, 1869.

The Queen wishes to make one additional observation respecting the beards, viz., that on no account should moustaches be allowed without beards. That must be clearly understood.

1841 Changes

In 1841, Hon. George E. Badger, Secretary of the Navy, issued a general order regulating the uniform of the navy, in which was a clause requiring that no part of the beard should be worn long except the whiskers, and that they should not descend more than one inch below the tips of the ears, and thence in a line with the corners of the mouth. These were nicknamed " Badger Whiskers." Fashion, however, proved more powerful than the regulation, and the order was never fully enforced.