BORIS Johnson has announced that bearskin will continue to be used to make the Queen’s Guard’s headgear, despite fierce criticism from campaign groups.
Calls have been made to replace the famous busby hats, which are made from the fur of the Canadian black bear, with fake fur alternatives.
Peta are one of the many groups voicing concern and have decried the spending of taxpayer’s money on animal cruelty.
They said: “For each of the caps used by the Queen’s Guard, a bear is cruelly killed by being shot or ensnared, sometimes for days, in a painful trap – and British people, a good 95% of whom object to killing animals for fur, are unwittingly paying for it through their taxes.”
Johnson has also flown in the face of his wife’s views on the matter as she has previously described those who use fur as “sick”, adding that “fur belongs on animals only”.
Carrie was described by Peta as a “fearless force for good when it comes to making the world a kinder place for animals” when she was awarded their UK Person of the Year award in 2020.
It has been revealed in a leaked letter written by Johnson that tests had been conducted on faux fur replacements but that they been found to be “unacceptable”.
New: leaked email shows Boris Johnson supports the continued use of real black bear fur for hats worn by the Coldstream Guards.
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) February 3, 2022
Animal charity Peta, who named his wife Carrie as their "person of the year", tells @LBC the bears "shouldn't be slaughtered for ornamental hats". pic.twitter.com/s8iNTPNkeS
Johnson wrote that: “Sadly, as man-made fur did not meet the standards required for a ceremonial cap which is worn throughout the year and in all weathers, the Ministry of Defence has no plans at present to take this man-made fabric forward.”
Peta have conducted an online petition protesting the pelt’s use and said: “In addition to giving a nod to tradition while preventing sensitive bears from being viciously slaughtered for their fur, the high-performing faux bear fur is also more eco-friendly. Real fur must be treated with toxic chemicals to prevent it from decomposing – in this case, on the guards’ heads.”
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