Why Canadian sourced bearskin caps worn by Buckingham Palace guards could be replaced with faux fur

A cross-party group of U.K. MPs have urged the country’s Ministry of Defence to end the use of real Canadian bearskin for hats worn by the guards who stand outside Buckingham Palace.

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In a letter to defence minister Luke Pollard, 18 MPs and one peer from a combination of the Labour Party, the Lib Dems and the Green Party called for the bearskin caps to be swapped for faux fur to “meet today’s ethical standards”.

The letter reads: “The Government’s continued use of real bearskin is impossible to justify. This moment calls for leadership and modernising the caps to meet today’s ethical standards.

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“We call on you to instruct the Ministry of Defence and its suppliers to work proactively with manufacturers to develop and adopt a suitable faux fur alternative, in line with the Government’s commitment to advancing animal welfare.”

It adds: “Most urgently, while this process continues, bears are still being shot with crossbows and killed, their cubs orphaned, and their pelts used to produce new caps.

“The Ministry of Defence must suspend any further orders of real bearskins pending a faux-fur replacement.”

The bearskin caps, which were introduced into the British Army after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 to make soldiers look more intimidating in combat, are each made with the pelt of one Canadian black bear. Data obtained by animal rights group PETA previosuly revealed the U.K. Ministry of Defence bought 526 bearskin hats between 2017 and July 2024, which it says equates to “at least that many slaughtered bears.”

The hats are worn by British Foot Guards, the five regiments of which include the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. They are 18 inches tall and weigh 1.5 pounds.

In an email to National Post, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said: “The bear pelts currently used are a product of legal and licensed culls, sourced exclusively from the regulated Canadian market.”

The British companies that make the hats keep their identities a secret.

PETA said in a press release published on Tuesday that the U.K. Ministry of Defence purchases finished caps from capmakers who source bear fur from Canada, where the government issues “hunting tags” allowing hunters to kill an allotted number of bears and sell their pelts.

In a 2024 video exposé, the organization went undercover in Ontario, accompanying hunters who bought tags that gave them a license to slaughter bears and sell the fur to auction houses, where it can be purchased by suppliers.

“By continuing to purchase caps made of black bear fur, the U.K. government drives demand for pelts and effectively incentivizes hunters like these to bait and kill bears,” the video said.

According to data obtained by PETA, orders for the bearskin caps rose by 336 per cent in 2025, “with 96 bears losing their lives and their fur used for the caps.” Each cap costs the Ministry of Defence £2,040 (roughly $3,800), according to the animal rights group.

It adds that the Ministry of Defence spent over £1 million ($1.9 million) on the hats in the nine years leading up to 2024. It’s not clear how much of that cost was spent on purchasing fur from Canada.

Hunting black bears is legal in every province and territory, but regulations vary. For example, in B.C. it is unlawful to hunt bears using bait. Each year, millions are spent on hunting licenses, with the Ontario government in 2020 revealing that approximately 25,000 bear licences are sold annually, providing $2.4 million in revenue.

The previous Conservative government in the U.K. said it had looked into replacing the caps with a synthetic alternative, but said no material had met the standards of real fur. In order for an alternative fabric to be considered for use, the Ministry of Defence says it would need to successfully perform in five areas: water absorption, penetration, appearance, drying rate and compression.

Stephanie Peacock, former shadow defence minister for the Labour Party, previously called for “an immediate review of the possible alternatives to bear fur” during a parliamentary debate in 2022.

Now that Labour are in power, PETA is calling for the government to make good on its promise.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The MoD backs replacing bearskin caps with a faux fur alternative and we have set five tests any alternative must pass. We are happy resuming work with PETA on an alternative should they wish to re-engage.”

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