A cross-party group of MPs has called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to end the use of real black bear fur for the King’s Guard’s ceremonial caps, citing a significant rise in costs and ethical concerns.
The push for a transition to synthetic alternatives comes as recent figures reveal the price of a single bearskin cap has climbed to more than £2,000. According to MoD expenditure data, the department spent £176,000 on the headgear in 2023, a sharp increase from the £52,430 spent on 24 caps in 2022.
The iconic hats are worn by the five regiments of Foot Guards—the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards—during ceremonial duties at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
The Technical Debate
For years, the MoD has maintained that faux fur alternatives do not meet the rigorous standards required for military use. Officials evaluate headgear based on five essential criteria: water-shedding, weight, aesthetics, durability, and shape retention.
The MoD’s long-standing position is that synthetic versions have historically failed to shed water effectively or maintain their shape in the varied British weather. A spokesperson previously stated that no synthetic alternative has yet met all the requirements to replace the current pelts.
However, animal rights organisation PETA has partnered with luxury faux furrier ECOPEL to develop a high-performing synthetic version. PETA claims their “ECOPEL” fur has passed independent laboratory tests for water resistance and is indistinguishable from the real thing to the untrained eye.
Sourcing and Ethics
The pelts used for the caps are sourced from black bears in Canada. The MoD maintains that the skins are a by-product of legal, government-sanctioned culls carried out by Canadian authorities as part of wildlife management programmes. They state that bears are not killed specifically to supply the British Army.
Campaigners and the cross-party group of MPs argue that the use of real fur is an outdated tradition that no longer aligns with modern British values. They suggest that switching to a synthetic version would not only be more humane but would also provide better value for money for the taxpayer in the long term, given the rising cost of animal pelts.
While the MoD remains open to testing new materials, there is currently no confirmed timeline for a formal transition. The department has indicated it will only consider a move to faux fur if a product can be proven to match the performance and longevity of the traditional bearskin.
