US-based animal rights group PETA has called on the UK Ministry of Defense to “stop supporting this barbaric industry” of bearskin hats worn by the Royal Guards.
The group concluded that the iconic black bouffant hats worn by British soldiers is “cruel” after conducting an undercover investigation into the practice of baiting and killing black bears with guns and crossbows in Canada.
The group is statement and video An article published Wednesday, narrated by British actor Stephen Fry, claims that the pelts of slain bears will be auctioned and could possibly end up in the hats worn by members of the Royal Guards. .
“Every day our soldiers wear hats made from slaughtered bearskins brings disgrace to our country,” Frye said in the video.
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Royal Guards take off their bearskin hats as Charles III is proclaimed King at the Coronation Council at St. James's Palace in London, England, on September 10, 2022. (Joe Giddens – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Bear baiting, a technique in which hunters lure large animals with greasy bait, is banned in most U.S. states and the United Kingdom, but remains legal in Canada.
According to PETA, it takes “at least” one bear skin to make one hat.
According to public records obtained by PETA UK, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) purchased 498 bearskin hats between 2017 and 2022.
Crowds of tourists and domestic visitors watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony of the Royal Guards, consisting of Coldstream Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scottish Guards, held at Buckingham Palace on July 9, 2023 in London, England. . (Mike Kemp/Photo via Getty Images)
According to PETA, the Canadian Department of Defense claimed that all hats worn by ceremonial guards are made from fur that is more than 20 years old.
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Animal rights groups argued that the inhumane killing of animals “for ornaments” is still not allowed.
The King's Guard marches wearing their iconic bearskin hats. (Mike Kemp/Photo via Getty Images)
PETA's campaign called on the UK Ministry of Defense to switch to faux fur in the hope of curbing this form of hunting.
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The group claimed it had developed a fake fur that met the ministry's standards and made it available for use in 2017 and 2023.
Mr Fry said in a statement: “Britain has always prided itself on being a 'sport' but bears lured with cookies to hunters' hiding places have no chance of survival.”
Tradition is never an excuse for cruelty.
“Tradition is never an excuse for cruelty, which is why I am calling on the Ministry of Defense to end the use of slaughtered wild animal fur and instead use humane faux fur for the Royal Guards’ hats. To do otherwise would be unconscionable and un-British,” Mr Fry said.
PETA supporters hold up banners that read “Bear-skin hats?” It's an old hat! Switch to faux fur for the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Windsor Castle on November 15, 2022 in Windsor, England. (Mark Kerrison/Photo via Getty Images)
According to PETA, the Ministry of Defense claimed that the bear's fur was a byproduct of “culling” by Canadian authorities.
“However, Canada's federal and provincial governments have confirmed that no such culling exists. “You can freely feed and kill these bears and sell their skins,” PETA said. “The Ministry of Defense then partnered with Furmark, a commercial fur industry certification scheme whose sole purpose is to protect the interests of fur farmers and hunters and promote the (rapidly dwindling) use of fur in fashion. did.”
Military personnel arrive at the Changing of the Guard at Windsor Castle ahead of a memorial service marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, September 11, 2021. (Photo by STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Kate Warner, PETA's senior campaign manager, said the Department of Defense was trying to “greenwash and justify the slaughter of dignified bears” in the hat's manufacturing process.
“Instead of aligning with the values and morals of the British public who reject fur, and the example of the late Queen Elizabeth II who refused to purchase fur for her wardrobe, the Ministry of Defense has sought to align itself with a certification system that: “It justifies the slaughter of these majestic, green bears,” Werner said. “PETA urges the Department of Defense to end its complicity in bear slaughter and ensure that artificial bear fur is fully evaluated and expedited for use.”
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“Tradition is no excuse for brutality,” a PETA spokesperson said in a statement to FOX News Digital.
“as PETA investigation In the show, the bearskin hats worn by the British King's Guards and the Canadian Guard of Honor are the product of violent blood sports in which bears are lured with greasy food and sweets and then shot with crossbow arrows. , often escaping injured, only to endure slow suffering. “Whether the bear was killed yesterday or 20 years ago, wearing fur means that it is otherwise acceptable to kill people for ornaments,” PETA said. “It sends a harmful message.”
Tradition is no excuse for atrocities.
“Tradition is no excuse for atrocities,” the group said. “PETA is calling on the British and Canadian defense authorities to ditch bearskin hats in favor of humane hats from luxury fur manufacturer ECOPEL, which are ready and waiting to be deployed.”
