A group of 18 Members of Parliament and one peer have formally requested that the British government cease using real bear pelts for the ceremonial bearskin caps worn by soldiers guarding Buckingham Palace. The lawmakers, representing the Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green parties, argued in a letter to Defence Minister Luke Pollard that the continued use of real fur, sourced from Canada, is 'impossible to justify' and fails to meet contemporary ethical standards.
The dispute over the bearskin caps, a prominent feature of the King's Guard uniform and each costing over £2,000, has persisted for more than two decades. This campaign has garnered support from public figures, including actor Stephen Fry, and animal rights organizations like PETA.
In their letter, the MPs urged Pollard to direct the Ministry of Defence and its suppliers to actively collaborate with manufacturers in developing and adopting a suitable faux fur alternative. They emphasized the government's commitment to advancing animal welfare and highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that bears continue to be killed and their cubs orphaned while the process of finding an alternative is ongoing. The Ministry of Defence has been called upon to suspend any further orders of real bearskins until a faux-fur replacement is ready.
This push follows an earlier activist campaign, which included a billboard placed outside Pollard's constituency office calling for the Ministry of Defence to become 'fur-free.' Pollard himself has previously expressed his desire to replace the caps with artificial materials, stating that animal welfare is of significant importance to him. However, he noted that any alternative must meet stringent criteria for water penetration, absorption, drying rate, appearance, and compression, standards that no current faux fur materials have yet met. He has indicated support for future proposals that meet these requirements.
Historically, the bearskin caps were adopted by the British Army after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 to enhance the soldiers' intimidating appearance. The ceremonial headdress is worn by specific regiments, most notably the King's Guard, who serve as sentries at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace.
Information obtained by PETA through freedom of information requests indicates a significant increase in orders for the caps, rising from 22 in 2024 to 96 in 2025 since the Labour party came into power. The Ministry of Defence has stated that bears are not hunted specifically for their caps and that the pelts used come from legal and licensed hunts. The government has expressed its support for replacing the caps with faux fur and willingness to work with PETA on an alternative.
PETA has documented its concerns, including sharing a video in 2024 that they claimed depicted hunters baiting bears with food before shooting them with crossbows, leading to slow and painful deaths. The Ministry of Defence has maintained that their bear pelts are sourced from legal hunting practices.
The previous Conservative government had also investigated the possibility of replacing the caps with synthetic materials but concluded that no alternative met the required standards. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson reiterated their backing for a faux fur alternative and outlined the five key tests any replacement must pass, expressing readiness to collaborate with PETA should they wish to re-engage.