Comedian Stephen Fry has called for the King’s Guards to stop using real fur as part of their ceremonial dress.
The actor has backed an animal rights charity in in calling for fake fur to be used when performing duties such as guarding Buckingham Palace. Currently, the tall black bearskin hats are a familiar sight at events such as the Changing of the Guards.
The Ministry of Defence told the BBC that the fur came from “legal and licensed hunts”. But campaigners have still backed its ban.
Narrating a campaign video on the issue, Fry said: “Tradition is never an excuse for cruelty.”
King Charles, a keen environmentalist, is shown in the campaign video wearing a bearskins at the Trooping the Colour. Fry then says the military should “stop using the fur of slaughtered wildlife” for caps when artificial fur is available.
He has narrated the video for animals right group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which says bears are “mercilessly killed by trophy hunters”. It claims at least one bear is needed per cap.
A PETA supporter reportedly made an undercover video that showed hunters putting down a bucket of bear bait before bolting the animal with a crossbow when it approached. Fry’s narration says the bear may not die initially, instead dying from blood loss or infection.
“By continuing to purchase caps made of black bear fur, the UK government drives demand for pelts and effectively incentivises hunters,” says Mr Fry.
