Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to replace the bearskin caps worn by the King's Guards with faux bearskins.

There have been four synthetic furs tested by accredited testing houses since 2015. The artificial fur tested in 2018 failed in all five of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) basic requirements necessary in order to be considered further as a viable alternative for ceremonial caps areas.

Tests conducted in 2019 and 2020 on another two samples showed that, while the water penetration was reduced, it still did not meet the necessary standard. It also performed poorly in the remaining basic requirements areas. The most recent test results, provided by PETA from an accredited testing house, have also been analysed by the MOD. The analysis concluded that the fabric only met one of the five basic requirements.

This means that, to date, there is no faux fur alternative that meets the required standard for the King's Guards ceremonial caps.