Buckingham Palace guards should swap bearskin caps with fake fur, MPs say

Ministers have been urged by a cross-party group of parliamentarians to end the use of real bear pelts for the hats worn by guards at Buckingham Palace.

In a letter to defence minister Luke Pollard, 18 MPs and one peer called for bearskin caps to be swapped for faux fur in order to “meet today’s ethical standards”.

The politicians, drawn from Labour, the Lib Dems and the Green Party, stated that the Government’s reliance on Canadian bearskin pelts is “impossible to justify”.

The letter to Mr Pollard said: “Both Parliament and the British public have consistently rejected the cruelty associated with the fur trade.

“You, yourself, have publicly expressed opposition to the use of fur.

“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.

“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.”

The MPs added: “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.

“The Ministry of Defence must suspend any further orders of real bearskins pending a faux-fur replacement.”

Bearskin caps were introduced into the British Army after the battle of Waterloo in 1815 to make soldiers look more intimidating in combat.

They are worn by the King’s Guard, the sentries who guard Buckingham Palace and St James’ Palace in London.

Orders for the tall fur caps have risen more than fourfold since the Labour party took power, according to data obtained by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) under freedom of information laws, rising from 22 caps in 2024 to 96 in 2025.

The Government said it supported replacing bearskin caps with a faux fur alternative and would be happy to work with Peta “should they wish to re-engage”.

Peta has sustained a campaign to replace the caps with faux fur over recent years, including through a petition to Parliament, and legal action against the Government.

The previous Conservative government said it had looked into replacing the caps with a synthetic alternative, but said no material had met the standards of real fur.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The MoD backs replacing bearskin caps with a faux fur alternative and we have set five tests any alternative must pass.

“We are happy resuming work with Peta on an alternative should they wish to re-engage.”