Soaring cost of King’s Guards’ real fur bearskin caps revealed

However, the ministry spokesman said a fake fur version would have to satisfy “safety and durability considerations” and that “no alternative has met all those criteria to date”.

The sharp increase in price is explained by the MOD as the result of a change in the “contractual arrangements” for the caps, which are all made from the fur of bears hunted in Canada.

The cost of the caps worn by the King’s Guard rose from £1,560 each in 2022 to £2,040 in 2023.

Elisa Allen of Peta called on the MOD to “stop wasting taxpayer pounds on caps made from slaughtered wildlife, and switch to faux fur today”.

The distinctive tall caps are worn on ceremonial events such as Trooping the Colour, and the figures from the MOD show that 24 new caps were bought in 2023 and 13 in 2022. Over the past decade the amount spent on replacement caps has been more than £1m.

Defenders of using real fur caps have argued that they are long-lasting and maintain their appearance for such showcase military occasions.

Animal welfare campaigners have claimed it is cruel and unnecessary for the King’s Guard to use real fur, saying it takes the fur of one bear to make each bearskin.

The decision on the use of real fur is up to the MOD rather than the royals, but as the BBC previously revealed, Queen Camilla switched this year to only buying fake fur clothes, saying in a letter she would “not procure any new fur garments”.