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A cross-party group of U.K. MPs have urged the country’s Ministry of Defence to end the use of real Canadian bearskin for hats worn by the guards who stand outside Buckingham Palace.
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In a letter to defence minister Luke Pollard, 18 MPs and one peer from a combination of the Labour Party, the Lib Dems and the Green Party called for the bearskin caps to be swapped for faux fur to “meet today’s ethical standards”.
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The letter reads: “The Government’s continued use of real bearskin is impossible to justify. This moment calls for leadership and modernising the caps to meet today’s ethical standards.
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“We call on you to instruct the Ministry of Defence and its suppliers to work proactively with manufacturers to develop and adopt a suitable faux fur alternative, in line with the Government’s commitment to advancing animal welfare.”
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It adds: “Most urgently, while this process continues, bears are still being shot with crossbows and killed, their cubs orphaned, and their pelts used to produce new caps.
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“The Ministry of Defence must suspend any further orders of real bearskins pending a faux-fur replacement.”
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The bearskin caps, which were introduced into the British Army after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 to make soldiers look more intimidating in combat, are each made with the pelt of one Canadian black bear. Data obtained by animal rights group PETA previosuly revealed the U.K. Ministry of Defence bought 526 bearskin hats between 2017 and July 2024, which it says equates to “at least that many slaughtered bears.”
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The hats are worn by British Foot Guards, the five regiments of which include the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. They are 18 inches tall and weigh 1.5 pounds.
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In an email to National Post, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said: “The bear pelts currently used are a product of legal and licensed culls, sourced exclusively from the regulated Canadian market.”
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The British companies that make the hats keep their identities a secret.
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PETA said in a press release published on Tuesday that the U.K. Ministry of Defence purchases finished caps from capmakers who source bear fur from Canada, where the government issues “hunting tags” allowing hunters to kill an allotted number of bears and sell their pelts.
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In a 2024 video exposé, the organization went undercover in Ontario, accompanying hunters who bought tags that gave them a license to slaughter bears and sell the fur to auction houses, where it can be purchased by suppliers.
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“By continuing to purchase caps made of black bear fur, the U.K. government drives demand for pelts and effectively incentivizes hunters like these to bait and kill bears,” the video said.