Thank you for contacting me about the Queen's Guards ceremonial caps.
I am aware of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) ongoing campaign to replace the real fur used in the bearskin Queen’s Guards ceremonial caps with faux fur and the corresponding debate that took place on 11 July.
Guardsmen take great pride in wearing the bearskin cap, which is an iconic image of Britain, and the MOD is very sparing in the acquisitions that it makes. Individual soldiers do not possess their own hats, rather they are cared for and shared within the Household Division and, despite their constant use, every effort is made to carefully prolong the longevity of each ceremonial cap. It is for this reason that they usually last for more than a decade, with some having been in use for as long as 60 years.
Nevertheless, I understand that there has been some confusion regarding the details of the supply chain relating to bear pelts used by the MOD for the Queen’s Guards ceremonial caps, in addition to conflicting understandings of the outcome of testing on ECOPEL’s faux fur product. In light of this, I was glad that the Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, asked that the relevant data and analysis procured by PETA on these matters be shared with the MOD during a recent Westminster Hall debate. At that time, the MOD had not had access to any of the data. I will be sure to follow these developments closely.
In the meantime, I can assure you that the MOD would like to find an alternative to bearskin should one prove acceptable. This is a commitment the MOD takes very seriously. Indeed, where sustainable, affordable and suitably appropriate faux material exists, the MOD has used it. The busby caps of the Royal Horse Artillery are a prime example. However, until that material is sourced and proven, the UK goes to great lengths to ensure that the pelts that make our caps are procured in the most responsible way possible.
Let me be clear, bears are never hunted to order for the MOD. Bear pelts used for the Queen’s Guards’ ceremonial caps are sourced exclusively from Canada precisely because it is a regulated market and a declared party to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.