The cost of the ceremonial headgear, made from the fur of black bears, increased by 30% in a year, according to information disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information request by animal rights groups.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) organization opposes the use of actual fur in general, but they also claim that, given the £1 million that has been spent on fur caps in recent years, there is now a financial as well as ethical concern.
“We are open to exploring faux fur alternatives if they pass the necessary requirements,” the Ministry of Defense stated.
A representative for the ministry stated that “no alternative has met all those criteria to date” and that a synthetic fur version would need to meet “safety and durability considerations.”.
The price of the King’s Guard headgear increased from £1,560 in 2022 to £2,040 in 2023.
The MoD was urged to “stop wasting taxpayer pounds on caps made from slaughtered wildlife and switch to faux fur today,” by Elisa Allen of Peta.
