Prince William Makes Major Promise as Future King Confronts ‘Unacceptable’ Treatment of Women in Britain’s Armed Forces

Prince William has made a significant commitment to changing Britain’s military culture, admitting that the Armed Forces are not yet meeting the standards expected of them when it comes to protecting and supporting women who serve.

The Prince of Wales has pledged to “play my part” in making the military a place where every service member feels safe, respected and valued. His intervention follows a year of conversations with servicewomen and senior defence figures about discrimination, harassment and the treatment of women across the forces.

William Says Military Culture Must Change

In the latest edition of Country Life, which he has guest-edited, William directly addressed the need for a more inclusive military.

In a piece he personally commissioned, the prince wrote:

“We need to ensure our military culture is more inclusive of women. I want to play my part in making the military feel like the welcoming, open and professional place I enjoyed and make it feel like that for everyone.

“At the moment, I don’t feel that we meet those standards and, as a former serving officer, I really mind it when those who wear the uniform now don’t feel safe, respected or valued.”

His comments follow a series of public and private meetings over the past year with women serving across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

William has heard directly from servicewomen of different ranks about their responsibilities, the obstacles they encounter and the changes needed to ensure they are treated properly throughout their careers.

He has also held discussions with senior figures across the defence sector, treating the conversations as a fact-finding exercise into the problems and the efforts being made to address them.

A Disturbing Case That Exposed the Scale of the Problem

The Country Life feature devotes five pages to women’s experiences in the military, including accounts of exclusion, discrimination, bullying, harassment and abuse.

Among the most harrowing cases is that of 19-year-old Gunner Jasyley Beck, who died by suicide after being sexually assaulted by a sergeant major.

Although Beck reported the assault, an inquest heard that the Army’s handling of her complaint had played “more than a minimal contributory part into her death”.

Her death prompted wider scrutiny of the culture within Britain’s Armed Forces and contributed to Operation Teamwork, an initiative intended to tackle the behaviours that allow such treatment to continue.

Even Military Equipment Can Leave Women at a Disadvantage

The article also highlights a less visible but significant problem: much of the military’s equipment has traditionally been designed around an average 70kg Caucasian male.

As a result, some uniforms and equipment do not fit women properly, creating practical difficulties for those expected to perform demanding roles.

There are, however, signs that senior military leaders recognise the need for improvement.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, acknowledged that women’s experiences have not always met the standards expected of the institution.

“We know the experience of women in our Armed Forces has not always been what it should be.

“Where behaviours and attitudes have fallen short of the standards we expect, we must be honest about that and continue to drive change.”

William Draws on His Own Military Experience

The prince’s intervention carries particular weight given his own service background. William completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service after being commissioned as a British Army officer in December 2006.

He subsequently undertook attachments to the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy before training as a search-and-rescue pilot in 2009.

He spent three years serving in that role at RAF Valley in Anglesey.

Now, William says he wants to help ensure that the military culture he experienced as a serviceman becomes a welcoming and professional environment for everyone — including the women whose accounts have exposed serious failures within the institution.

His pledge marks a public commitment from the future King to push for change in an area where, by his own admission, the Armed Forces still have considerable work to do.