Prince William calls for protecting service personnel from harassment

The key facts

Prince William held private meetings with service personnel from all branches of the military before publishing the article
According to a Ministry of Defence survey, 67% of women in the military encounter unwanted sexualised behaviour every year
The Chief of the Defence Staff admitted that women's experience in the forces 'has not always been what it should be'

The prince's first public statement on the issue

The Prince of Wales, who will in time become head of the United Kingdom's armed forces, has said that the military must do more to protect women from sexual harassment and ensure they are treated with respect. According to BBC, he held his own private meetings with service personnel of all ranks — from privates to officers — in the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force while preparing an article as guest editor of Country Life magazine. It is his first public statement on the subject.

What the figures and specific cases say

The article cites a Ministry of Defence survey: 67% of servicewomen encounter unwanted 'sexualised behaviour' every year, and 30% have considered leaving the armed forces because of such behaviour. The article also mentions the story of gunner Jaysley Beck, who took her own life at Larkhill camp in Wiltshire in 2021 after months of unwanted attention; she had reported a sexual assault, and an inquest examined a complaints system that failed to respond adequately. The Prince writes: 'I do not feel at the moment that we are meeting those standards, and as a former officer it genuinely pains me when those who wear the uniform today do not feel safe, respected and valued.' He also heard accounts of sexualised bullying: inappropriate comments, the spreading of rumours about women who rejected harassment, and nighttime harassment in barracks; one young servicewoman described women as being used as 'commodities'.

The context of the BBC investigations

The Prince's statement came against the backdrop of a series of BBC investigations. In August, four young women said they had suffered sexual violence and harassment at the Army's training college for teenagers, the Army Foundation College in Harrogate (North Yorkshire); one reported being raped by junior fellow soldiers over several hours. Earlier, in February, the BBC published a piece on accusations that the armed forces had 'betrayed' victims of sexual violence, and in October 2025 it reported on hundreds of women alleging abuse in Army medical care. In the article, the Prince also highlights positive changes: the adaptation of military equipment, including body armour, for women, and stories of successful women's military careers. Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said he knows that women's experience in the forces 'has not always been what it should be', and that where behaviour has fallen short of standards, 'we need to be honest and keep driving change'.