It was suggested that the sailors in the Navy should henceforward be allowed to wear beards.

"Has Mr.Childers ascertained anything on the subject of the beards ?" the Queen wrote anxiously to the First Lord of the Admiralty.

On the whole, Her Majesty was in favour of the change.

"Her own personal feeling," she wrote, "would be for the beards without the moustaches, as the latter have rather a soldierlike appearance; but then the object in view would not be obtained, viz.
to prevent the necessity of shaving.

Therefore it had better be as proposed, the entire beard, only it should be kept short and very clean." After thinking over the question for another week, the Queen wrote a final letter.