THE vast majority of people in the UK oppose the use of real bearskin fur on the Queen’s Guard’s caps, according to a new poll.
A survey from Peta and carried out by Populus – The Times’s official pollster – reveals that 75% of the UK considers the bearskin caps a “bad use of Government funds” and 73% would like to see the Prime Minister take action to replace the bearskin with faux fur.
The ceremonial caps cost £1710 each with more than £1 million of UK taxpayers’ money spent on the caps in the past seven years alone.
In a bid to stop using real bearskins, leading faux-fur producer ECOPEL has offered the Ministry of Defence (MoD) an unlimited amount of its fake bear fur free of charge until 2030.
PETA senior campaigns manager Kate Werner said: “As many Brits struggle to pay for essentials like gas and electricity, they’re rightly outraged at the thought of funding ornamental caps for which bears are killed,
“We remind the Government that switching to faux fur is a wildly popular move that would save money and bears’ lives.”
The caps have previously caused controversy, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie reportedly at odds on the issue.
In February, the Prime Minister was revealed in a leaked letter to support the use of the bearskin caps as faux fur replacements were found to be “unacceptable” by tests run by the MoD.
Johnson wrote: “Sadly, as man-made fur did not meet the standards required for a ceremonial cap which is worn throughout the year and in all weathers, the Ministry of Defence has no plans at present to take this man-made fabric forward.”
However, Carrie has in the past conversely described people who wear real fur as “sick” and that “fur belongs on animals only”.
Carrie has long been an advocate for animal rights and was described by Peta as a “fearless force for good when it comes to making the world a kinder place for animals” when she was awarded their UK Person of the Year award in 2020.
Peta has launched a government e-petition on the issue, which, if it reaches 100,000 signatures could trigger a parliamentary debate.
