UK Military Faces Scrutiny Over Continued Use of Bears Skin Hats

On Thursday, animal rights organization PETA renewed its demand for an end to the use of real bearskin hats worn by Buckingham Palace guards, following the revelation that each hat now costs over £2,000 ($2,600).

These tall black hats, worn by elite regiments during ceremonial events like the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, are among the UK’s most recognizable symbols.

According to data obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by animal welfare advocates, the cost of these hats, which are crafted from the fur of Canadian Black Bears, surged by 30 percent over the past year, reaching £2,040 in 2023.

PETA previously took the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to court in an unsuccessful bid to prevent the use of real fur, saying that there were synthetic alternatives.

It now says there is an economic, as well as ethical, case to use fake fur instead.

“The government must heed the public’s wishes and stop propping up Canada’s cruel bear-hunting industry when it could be getting beautiful faux fur for free,” said PETA vice president of programmes Elisa Allen.

“PETA is calling on the Ministry of Defence to stop wasting taxpayer pounds on caps made from slaughtered wildlife and switch to faux fur today.”

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The Ministry of Defence (MoD), which has purchased 526 bearskin hats between 2017 and July 2024, has stated it is “open” to considering alternatives made from fake fur. However, the MoD emphasized that any alternative must meet “safety and durability” standards, and as of now, “no substitute has met all these criteria.”

Animal rights advocates received a boost in May when Queen Camilla, a resident of Buckingham Palace, pledged not to add any more fur items to her wardrobe. Camilla, who was an avid fox hunter before it was banned in the UK, echoed the stance of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who had committed to ceasing fur purchases in 2019.