England: The Queen Goes Fur-Free
The Queen is giving up fur — at least the kind that comes from real animals. Queen Elizabeth II has been wearing only faux fur this year, as her dressmaker Angela Kelly reveals in her new book.
Queen Elizabeth II has decided to remove fur from her wardrobe, following the lead of several high-fashion houses that had stopped using the cruel material.
This marks a departure from her previous winter wardrobe, as she owns many famous fur pieces she has worn for decades, including the full-length fur coat she has worn at important occasions since the 1950s.
Due to shifting attitudes towards fur, the royal family has come under fire from activists for attending events wearing real fur.
Faux fur instead of real fur
«If Her Majesty is attending an engagement in particularly cold weather, faux fur has been used since 2019 to ensure she stays warm,» writes the Queen’s confidante in «The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe».
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirmed that the royal household had gone fur-free.
However, as part of her royal duties, all ceremonial robes and other items featuring fur will continue to be worn at state occasions.
Animal welfare advocates welcome the change
Claire Bass of the organisation Humane Society International called on Britain to follow the Queen’s example and ban the fur trade entirely. The British royal family had repeatedly faced criticism for wearing real fur, particularly the Queen herself.
A fur-free head of state sends the powerful message that fur is out of fashion and has no place in England.
The United Kingdom banned fur farming almost two decades ago, deeming it too cruel. Now the work must be completed and the sale of fur banned as well.
In 2019, no one can any longer justify subjecting animals to endless suffering. For fur, animals are imprisoned for life or caught in leg-hold traps, killed by electric shocks, and skinned for toxic fur products. The cruelty to animals within the fur industry is well documented.
The Queen's soldiers still wear headgear made from Canadian bear fur.
