"There’s absolutely no need for animals to lose their lives for a monarch's vanity" said one Mirror reader, after we asked should the King's Guards ditch wearing bear fur?
Hundreds of you voted, with 644 saying yes it should be ditched and 349 saying no it shouldn't. Real fur in the bearkskin caps worn by the King's Guards - and various members of the Royal Family at parades - has been used for the past 200 years, but many want to put a stop to it.
'Tradition is never an excuse for cruelty', says actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry, who backs a campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) calling for fake fur to be used instead of real bear fur. The comedian, who says it takes at least one bear for each cap, says it's time to 'stop using the fur of slaughtered wildlife'.
A PETA supporter made an undercover video - narrated by Mr Fry - which purports to show hunters baiting the bears with strongly-scented food, before shooting them with a crossbow. Mr Fry says the animals may not die immediately but later succumb to infected wounds or blood loss. The bears are later disembowelled and it's claimed body parts are used for trophies and their fur sold.
"By continuing to purchase caps made of black bear fur, the UK government drives demand for pelts and effectively incentivises hunters," says Mr Fry. But a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman told the BBC its pelts are sourced from authorised hunts and a regulated Canadian fur market: "To date and to the department's knowledge, an alternative has yet to meet the standards required to provide an effective replacement for the bearskin ceremonial caps."
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The historic black hats, designed to make the soldiers appear taller and more intimidating, are sported by all five regiments - the Grenadier, Welsh, Irish, Scots and Coldstream Guards - who protect Buckingham Palace and other royal sites. King Charles, and other members of the Royal Family, also traditionally wear bearskins at parades such as Trooping the Colour.
'Save the bears! Use faux fur hats'
Many of you commented on our original story, here's just a selection of what some of you had to say:
Jimmyv: "Tradition is wonderful when the tradition is noble and unifying - but not when it’s standing in the way of technology and progress, and not when it’s a cruel affront to decency. Save the bears! Use faux fur hats. This is a no-brainer!"
Rw51: "(my vote in the poll is) definitely a YES from me. Shame on others who voted no."
Iceladyk: "There’s absolutely no need for animals to lose their lives for a monarch's vanity. If Charles is the environmentalist he claims to be why hasn’t he put a stop to this? After all he banned foie gras quickly enough!"
Briggs: "There is no substitute for natural bearskins, man-made fabrics have been tried and they are useless, they make the guardsmen hot and sweaty. A lot of the real bearskin helmets are recycled, cleaned and given to other guardsmen. Bears die naturally in the wild then if the skins are suitable they are used and made into the helmets. Plus the bears are culled because there are too many of them and are a nuisance."
Ddwuk: "Being a bit naive I thought synthetic fur was already in use, sad to find I am wrong and hope the Army rectifies this."
LucyPost: "It's 2024. We have incredible, cruelty-free faux furs that could replace bearskins for these caps. To continue killing these animals and stealing their fur is appalling and unacceptable."
Pwilly: "The skins used in the making of military bear skin hats are sourced in Canada, when there's been a cull. The MOD purchase 100 pelts per year or when needed. The fur is not supplied to order. That doesn't mean it's right or proper to wear animal pelts ... but I also think the bear skin should stay. "
Kurt Wallander: "The bear skins are not supplied to order, they are supplied by Canada from bears that are part of the annual cull. The skins would otherwise be destroyed. The bears get shot regardless of the skins supplied for the Army."
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