UK's royal guards wear real fur bearskin caps. They cost a whopping...

Royal traditions are hard to break in the United Kingdom. But today when the economy is struggling, it makes sense to reduce some costs wherever possible. Amidst all this, the bearskin caps worn by soldiers outside Buckingham Palace have become a topic of discussion.

Reason? Well, they cost a whopping £2,000 ($2,610 or Rs 2,19,211) each, according to figures from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

A Freedom of Information request made by animal welfare campaigners revealed that the cost of the ceremonial caps soared by 30 per cent in a year, as per a BBC report. Add to the fact that they are made from the fur of black bears, and you have a controversy at hand.

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The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group is up in arms against the use of real fur. It argues that the ethical issue of treatment of animals along with the massive costs incurred makes the case for abandoning the use of real fur for the caps. Notably, £1 million ($1.3 million) was spent on fur caps in recent years.

The MoD says it is open to exploring the use of faux fur, "if they pass the necessary requirements."

The basic requirements, as per the ministry, include the need for the faux fur to satisfy "safety and durability considerations". It added that "no alternative has met all those criteria to date".

Why the sharp rise in prices?

The cost of the caps worn by the King's Guard rose from £1,560 ($2,036) each in 2022 to £2,040 ($2,663) in 2023. Twenty-four new caps were bought in 2023 and 13 in 2022, as per MoD.

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According to MoD, the rise in costs happened because of a change in the "contractual arrangements" for the caps. Notably, the fur of bears hunted in Canada is used to make them.

Those in favour of the use of real fur argue that they are long-lasting and maintain their appearance for important events. The bearskin caps are a regular at ceremonial events such as Trooping the Colour.

PETA has been particularly angry about how black bears are caught and killed. They allege that hunters can use crossbows and the animals might suffer for a long time. However, the MoD maintains that the fur is legally sourced from licensed hunts from the regulated Canadian market.