Prince Harry will have chosen his wedding day outfit months ago, but one question he'll be facing this week is whether or not he should shave off his beard as the big day approaches. The Prince, who served in the army for ten years, is expected to wear a military uniform at the ceremony, possibly that of the Captain General of the Royal Marines – his most recent and senior military title.
But grooms who marry in uniform should technically be clean-shaven, army rules dictate. Historian Hugo Vickers explained that Harry wouldn't be able to wear an army uniform with his current facial hair, noting: "He does it sometimes but they don't like it. That's why when he took the parade at Sandhurst, he wore a suit."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Prince has kept his beard while wearing uniform before
Harry, who undertook two tours of Afghanistan, has always respected the army and will want to honour his role in the forces on the most important day of his life. He is unlikely to wear a suit and may be able to bend army rules, given the fact that he is no longer serving. HELLO!'s royal correspondent Emily Nash explained: "He is no longer serving, so is no longer tied by army rules on facial hair. He's had a beard throughout his relationship with Meghan, so it would be very odd if it disappeared on the big day!"
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© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry served in the army for ten years
Harry first started growing a beard in 2013 when he completed a charity trek to the South Pole with Walking With The Wounded. The Prince kept his facial hair upon returning to the UK, and surprised royal watchers with his new look when he attended the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry has always had a beard since knowing Meghan
His grandmother the Queen reportedly told him to shave it off, with an insider at the time saying: "The rest of the family liked it and were taking the mickey, especially his cousin Zara who dubbed him Prince Hairy. But the Queen soon let her displeasure be known. She doesn't mind royal men growing beards when they are away in the armed forces or out in the wilds like Harry was in the Antarctic, but she expects them to be clean-shaven when they get home."
The Prince shaved off his beard in the New Year, despite his girlfriend of the time Cressida Bonas reportedly liking the look. But after Harry left the army in June 2015, he went back to growing a beard and has kept one ever since.
