Queen praised for going fur-free

Queen Elizabeth II is set to switch to faux fur clothing and accessories in a move which has been praised and called a “sign of the times” by animal activists.

The queen has worn fur coats and hats throughout her life and some of her traditional ceremonial robes are made from animals, too.

But Angela Kelly, the royal’s longstanding dressmaker, has stated that the 93-year-old monarch’s ready to move with the times and swap real fur for faux fur in the future.

No more fur

“If Her Majesty is due to attend an engagement in particularly cold weather, from 2019 onwards fake fur will be used to make sure she stays warm,” Angela, who has worked for the queen for the past 25 years, writes in her new book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed the news in a statement to The Telegraph, saying: “As new outfits are designed for the queen, any fur used will be fake.”

However, sources confirmed that the queen will continue to wear existing items she owns that contain fur such as her ceremonial robes.

Her robe she wears to the State Opening of Parliament, for example, is made of velvet and ermine, the fur of a weasel.

PETA praises the queen

PETA has praised the monarch’s bold move but wants to see more.

“PETA staff are raising a glass of gin and Dubonnet to the queen's compassionate decision to go fur-free.

“This new policy is a sign of the times, as 95 per cent of the British public also refuses to wear real fur,” PETA director of international programs Mimi Bekhechi said in a statement.

“In 2019, no one can justify subjecting animals to the agony of being caged for life or caught in steel traps, electrocuted and skinned for toxic fur items - so it's a disgrace that soldiers in the Queen's Guard are still parading around with the fur of bears gunned down in Canada on their caps.”

It adds: “We respectfully urge Her Majesty to complete the policy by ordering that the fur be replaced by the humane, luxurious faux bearskin that PETA has helped develop alongside faux-furrier Ecopel and designer Stella McCartney”.

In recent years, the fashion industry has been held to account by animal rights activists for its use of real animal fur – with the likes of Gucci, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo opting to go fur-free.

Last year, a group of female PETA supporters stormed Fashion Week to protest the industry’s use of fur, painting the slogan “Wear Your Own Skin” across their bodies.

Additional reporting by Francesca Specter.

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