Prince William urges more inclusive military culture

Prince William said the Armed Forces must become more inclusive and that current standards do not ensure women feel safe, respected or valued, after meeting servicewomen to hear about their experiences. He said he wants to contribute to making military life welcoming and professional for everyone.

Over the past year, William held public and private meetings with women of different ranks from the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the Army. Accounts described in an article he commissioned for a special edition of Country Life included inappropriate comments, rumours about women who rejected advances and harassment by intoxicated personnel in barracks. One junior servicewoman told him women were being treated as commodities.

The accounts were presented as what the women told William; the reports do not provide direct testimony from them. William said he had also met senior defence leaders to discuss how the concerns were being addressed. He is exploring a longer-term initiative, but no decision or proposed measures were described.

The commissioned article also referred to Gunner Jaysley Beck, a 19-year-old Royal Artillery soldier who died by suicide in 2021. An inquest found that...