Prince William warns military must do more to make women feel safe and respected

The Prince of Wales has disclosed that he is working to ensure women serving in the military feel safe, respected and valued, while warning that current standards are not yet being met.

Speaking publicly for the first time, William, a future head of Armed Forces, outlined details of a confidential campaign aimed at driving inclusivity for female personnel across the defence sector.

Behind the scenes throughout the past year, the heir to the throne has undertaken a dedicated fact-finding exercise, prioritising both private and public meetings with servicewomen of all ranks across the Royal Navy, RAF and Army to learn at first hand about their personal experiences.

William heard accounts of women facing inappropriate comments, malicious rumours being spread if they rejected advances, and drunken harassment inside barracks, with one junior female telling him about "women being used as commodities".

Consequently, the prince convened discussions with senior leaders across the defence sector to evaluate what measures are being implemented to tackle these concerns, and he is currently considering a broader, long-term initiative focused on the issue.

He personally commissioned a piece exploring the specific challenges facing women in the military during his tenure as guest editor for a special issue of Country Life magazine, published on Wednesday, and remains deeply committed to improving the experiences of female personnel serving across the Armed Forces.

In the piece, William, who trained at Sandhurst and later became an RAF search and rescue pilot, said: “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.”

The article described the meetings the prince conducted with servicewomen over the past year.

“Servicewomen have told him about inappropriate comments, rumours being spread about those who turn down advances, late-night intoxicated harassment in barracks and, most worryingly, from one junior female, about women being used as commodities,” it said.

The piece began with a reference to Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, who took her own life at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in 2021.

Gunner Beck had been subjected to months of unwanted attention and had reported a sexual assault.

An inquest into the 19-year-old’s death found the Army’s failure to take appropriate action “more than minimally” contributed to her death.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, chief of the defence staff, told Country Life: “We recognise there is more to do to ensure every woman can serve, succeed and progress in an environment where they are respected and valued.

“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.”