Platinum Jubilee: God Save the Queen (and the Bears), Says PETA
Wearing Union Jack attire and armed with an eye-catching banner proclaiming, “God Save the Queen (and the Bears)”, PETA supporters descended on the annual Trooping the Colour Parade – which includes the display of bearskin caps – to call on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to honour Queen Elizabeth II by following her lead and going fur-free.
The action is the latest in our push for the MoD to bring faux–bear fur caps – expertly designed by luxury faux furrier ECOPEL – into service.
Compassion Always Takes the Crown
In a sign of the times, the Queen’s official dressmaker announced in 2019 that Her Majesty would no longer procure real fur items for her wardrobe. So, given that her Majesty the Queen – whom the regiment is charged with protecting – no longer buys fur, surely the MoD must ensure her Guards follow suit?
The Queen’s decision to shun fur is in line with the many forward-thinking consumers, businesses, and nations that are recognising that innovative faux-fur fabrics are better for the environment and spare animals a miserable life and a bloody, painful death.
That’s why today, the UK’s most accomplished designers and luxury brands – including Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, and Stella McCartney – have all said no to real fur. And the majority of mainstream retailers, including AllSaints and ASOS, are also fur-free.
The British public are on board, too! The vast majority would never be caught dead in real fur, and a recent opinion poll showed that 75% of Brits support replacing the bearskin with an animal-friendly material.
Fur is out of favour with royalty, fashion houses, and the public, and it’s past time for the MoD to replace the bearskin caps with modern, humane faux fur.
Faux Fur Is Passing the Test With Flying Colours
A recent report from a fabric technologist confirmed that the ECOPEL faux bear fur performed equally well to or outdid bearskin in all five areas set out by the MoD.
One Cap = One Bear
The 1,400 Queen’s Guard soldiers present for the parade represent the deaths of at least 1,400 bears.
Some bears are shot several times before they die, and some escape only to bleed to death. When mother bears are killed, their cubs may be left to starve.
The MoD claims that bears are killed as part of Canadian government culls, but we have found no evidence that any culls of this sort exist in any province or territory of Canada. Instead, hunters obtain permits to bait and kill bears, whose fur is then sold to auction houses.
As part of our efforts to replace the bearskin caps with faux fur, our government petition calling for a debate in Parliament has passed the threshold for triggering a debate – 100,000 signatures. But there is more work to do.
We need to let the prime minister know that the secretary of state for defence is obstructing progress and wasting taxpayers’ money. Take action now.
