The Prince of Wales visits regiment

Prince William visited the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment in Bulford on Thursday.

The Prince of Wales, as Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment, visited the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment in Bulford, Wiltshire, on Thursday. Following his appointment by King Charles in August 2023, the Prince initially took up his new role in November of that year. The Mercian Regiment consists of personnel from the five counties that formed the kingdom of Mercia: Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

Prince William, 43, recently visited Mercian Regiment troops stationed in Estonia during his official visit in March 2025. One of the Army’s largest operational deployments overseas had over 900 British troops in the eastern flank, aiding NATO with Operation CABRIT—the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Forward Land Forces in the Baltic 3, Poland, and Finland (B3PF).

On Thursday afternoon, the Prince arrived at the 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment, wearing the camouflage uniform with a regimental beret, and joined a conversation with female troops. The discussions allowed William to hear directly about their experiences serving as women in the Armed Forces, the progress that has been made, and the issues they still face.

The future King also observed experimental drone training in the regiment’s bespoke urban training facility, which is used in urban combat. The Prince was shown the latest techniques, which are used in action, and quipped, “How long did it take you to become a master of this?” The drone operator responded, “If you’re good at video games, you’re alright, Sir”

William then joined officers and soldiers, as well as their families, of B Company following their six-month deployment to Estonia. The Prince engaged with the troops and their loved ones over coffee in the Officers’ Mess, listening to their experiences and praising their hard work and dedication. One special moment was when the Prince noticed the number of moustaches adorning the regimented troops and spoke about his own beard, saying, “I might end up taking mine off and leaving a stash.”

The Prince of Wales began sporting an iconic beard in the summer of 2024. In what may have been serendipity, the British Army lifted its century-long ban—with King Charles’ approval—on facial hair in March that year. “We have listened to our people and acted,” a spokesperson for the Army said at the time. The new grooming standards specify that beards must be trimmed and maintained between Grade 1 (2.5mm) and Grade 8 (25.5mm or one inch).

Finally, the day ended with the Prince presenting three Long Service and Good Conduct medals to soldiers before posing for the official commemorative photographs (and some intimate ones with families as well).