"No More Sacrifice of Canadian Black Bears"… Controversy Over British Guardsmen's Hats

"Cruelly Shooting a Black Bear... Must Replace with Artificial Bear"

A British animal protection organization has called for the iconic black bearskin hats worn by the British Royal Guards to be replaced with faux fur.

British Royal Guard.
Photo by AP·Yonhap News

On the 10th (local time), BBC and others reported that famous British actor and writer Stephen Fry appealed in a video by the animal rights group PETA not to use black bear fur for the guards' hats. In the video, Fry stated, "Hunters mercilessly kill bears, and the skins of those bears are used for the guards' hats," adding, "At least one bear is used for each hat."

The Royal Guards wear large black hats made from Canadian black bear fur during duties such as the Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard and royal events. PETA explained that hunters lure black bears by placing bait in buckets and then hunt them using crossbows to obtain the fur for these hats.

Fry added, "Bears sometimes escape after being shot but later die painfully from infected wounds or bleeding," and "Hunters often track the bears' trails and only find them hours later." He further criticized, saying, "The UK government continues to produce black bear fur hats, creating demand and providing incentives to hunters."

However, a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence stated, "Bear skins are sourced from an authorized Canadian fur market," and emphasized, "So far, there is no alternative to replace them."

Meanwhile, the British Royal Guards wear woolen uniforms and bearskin hats during their duties, which has sparked controversy as they wear the same attire even in summer. In June last year, at a rehearsal for King Charles III's birthday event, at least three guards fainted due to the heat.