Prince William Says Military Must Do More to Protect Servicewomen
Prince William has called for a more respectful military culture after private meetings with service women who described inappropriate comments, false rumors and sexual harassment. He set out his concerns in an article he commissioned as guest editor of Country Life magazine.
The Prince of Wales has said more must be done to protect women in the armed forces from sexual harassment, in his first public intervention on the subject. Prince William says he wants service women to be respected and safe, and that the military does not always meet those standards.
He set out his views in an article for Country Life magazine, where he is guest editor. The prince will one day be head of the armed forces.
What the prince wrote
"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," he writes.
He adds: "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."
Royal sources say William held his own fact-finding meetings with service women of all ranks across the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Some of what he heard went into the article.
What service women told him
The women described inappropriate comments, the threat of false rumors and sexual harassment. They also spoke of rumors spread about women who turned down sexual advances, and of late-night harassment in barracks.
One junior service woman described women as being used as "commodities".
The figures and the case cited
The article cites a Ministry of Defence survey. It found 67% of service women had faced unwanted "sexualised behaviour" every year, and 30% had considered leaving the armed forces because of it.
It also refers to Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, who took her own life at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in 2021. She had faced months of unwanted attention and had reported a sexual assault. An inquest heard that the complaints system failed to respond adequately.
Earlier this year, four young women said they were sexually assaulted and harassed at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, a training college for teenagers. One said she was raped by fellow junior soldiers in an attack that lasted hours.
Efforts to change the culture
The article also points to work under way to build a more positive culture and to prevent "outdated thinking and behaviour". It profiles women who have had successful military careers.
It shows how kit such as body armor has been adapted for women, rather than assuming male personnel are the default.
The chief of the defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, said he knew the experience of women in the armed forces had "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," he said.
