Early Day Motion 2907

King's Guard's ceremonial bearskin caps

Tabled 5 March 2026 by Rachael Maskell

That this House commends this Government's commitment to advancing animal welfare, as demonstrated by key reforms including a banning of trial hunting, a banning of boiling live crustaceans, recognising their capacity for pain and ending the cruel practice of puppy farming; acknowledges the dedicated efforts of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in advocating for the humane treatment of animals, including their campaign to replace the King's Guard's bearskin caps with high-quality faux fur alternatives; notes with concern that the Ministry of Defence has spent over £1 million of taxpayer money on bearskin caps over the last decade, purchasing 1,000 bearskin hats between 2014 and 2024, which equates to at least as many slaughtered bears; urges the Government to progress promises made to explore alternatives and pursue the replacement of real bearskin with humane and cost-effective faux fur fabric for the King's Guard's caps as a priority, given the availability of high-quality faux fur; and calls on the Ministry of Defence to instruct their cap-makers to work with manufacturers on a faux fur alternative, thereby aligning with the nation's ethical standards, fiscal responsibility and commitment by this Government to deliver the biggest animal welfare reforms in a generation.

Signatories (81)