Queen's BAN on real fur

Queen's BAN on real fur: Her Majesty now only buys faux pieces for her personal wardrobe (but will continue to don ermine-trimmed robes and crowns on state occasions)

Queen will not buy new outfits containing real fur but may still wear fur clothes

The 93-year-old was pictured wearing fur coat on Christmas day in 2015

She is the first member of the royal family to publicly shun fur

Palace would not confirm any plans to use faux fur in robes or crowns 

By LUKE ANDREWS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 15:02 GMT, 5 November 2019 | UPDATED: 20:57 GMT, 5 November 2019

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7651525/Queen-Elizabeth-II-not-buy-new-outfits-containing-real-fur-says-palace.html

The Queen no longer uses fur in her outfits, having switched to fake fur this year, her senior dresser has revealed.

Angela Kelly, the head of state's personal adviser and confidante, made the disclosure in her book about her close relationship with the monarch, The Other Side Of The Coin.

She wrote: '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.'

Buckingham Palace today confirmed the move to FEMAIL, saying: 'As new outfits are designed for the Queen, any fur used will be fake.'

The palace 'would not speculate' on whether any fur coats already owned by the Queen could still be worn, or if the change will extend to the monarch's historic robe of state, which consists of an ermine and velvet cape, and is worn at the State Opening of Parliament.

The move is believed to make the Queen the first member of the royal family to publicly shun real fur.

The Queen will not be buying more clothes containing real fur, the palace has said. She is pictured here wearing a brown fur coat when she attended church in Norfolk in 2015 on Christmas day, and wearing a fur coat in 1963

The Queen's move may not apply to real furs that are used in state robes and official gowns. Here the Queen is pictured wearing a white fur, believed to be fake, at the state opening of parliament in 2009     

 The Queen came under fire from animal rights campaigners in 2010 for wearing a cream-coloured fur hat made from fox hair when she attended church at Sandringham on Christmas day

The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to outlaw fur farming on ethical grounds in 2000.

Her Majesty was pictured wearing a brown fur coat to attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in 2015, and in a fox-fur-lined coat and fox-fur hat as she attended the same church on Christmas day in 2010.

PETA, which has campaigned for fur sales to be banned, said its staff were ‘raising a glass of gin and Dubonnet’ to the Queen’s compassionate decision.

‘This new policy is a sign of the times, as 95 per cent of the British public would also refuse to wear real fur,' they said.

The Queen wearing a brown fur coat in Winnipeg, in Canada, in 2002 during celebrations of her Royal Golden Jubilee             

Her majesty was also pictured sporting the same coat when she visited Green Park underground station in 1969      +7

‘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.

‘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.’

Animal rights activists at Animal Aid said that the move was 'positive' but called on the Queen to extend the policy to ceremonial garments.

'With growing awareness about the terrible cruelty caused by fur production, it is certainly positive to hear that the Queen will no longer be using real fur in her new outfits,' they said in a statement.

'It is abhorrent that to this day, animals are still condemned to appalling suffering for the sake of fashion, and we are encouraged that the Queen is taking steps to avoid contributing to this.

'We hope that this policy will also extend to ceremonial garments such as robes.'

The Humane Society, which runs the #FurFreeBritain, also said in a statement that it was 'thrilled' Her Majesty had gone fur free.

'Queen Elizabeth's decision to "go faux" is the perfect reflection of the mood of the British public, the vast majority of whom detest cruel fur and want nothing to do with it.

'Our Head of State going fur free sends a powerful message that fur is firmly out of fashion and does not belong with Brand Britain.'

The royals have often been criticised for their use of fur over the years.

In 2013, the Queen was urged by animal rights charity Peta to get 'with these more enlightened times'.

She has worn fur at numerous engagements over the decades, and was often seen in a brown fur coat she first debuted in 1961, and which she has sometimes worn when arriving for Christmas Day church services.

Have other royals worn real fur?

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Camilla was photographed wearing a brown hat made of real fur in 2010.

The Duchess donned the 'ostentatious' garment for a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham.

In 2017, it was reported that the Duchess had switched to fake fur following the barrage of criticism she received for sporting the Russian-style hat.

She was rumoured to have purchased six bespoke faux fur-trimmed hats from upmarket firm Lock & Co - and was seen proudly wearing one during Christmas that year.

Since, she is said to have sworn off real fur and to have purchased six fake-fur-trimmed hats such as this one, that she is shown wearing while leaving the same church in 2016          +7

The Duchess was roundly berated after she wore the real fur hat in 2010 for a Christmas day church service at St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, and is now said to have sworn off real fur for good

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

Kate has been pictured wearing fur hats made from alpacas who have died of natural causes.

The Duchess was seen in a chestnut brown £225 Sumac hat by Lacorine, made in Peru under the fairtrade label by local artisans, when she visited Oslo last year.

Kate in black alpaca fur hat that same week when she visited Nobel Museum in Stockholm

Kate pictured wearing a chestnut brown alpaca fur £225 Sumac hat by Lacorine, made in Peru, as she visits Oslo last year  and Kate in black alpaca fur hat that same week when she visited Nobel Museum in Stockholm 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wearing otter fur scarfs on the day they were given them while visiting a tribe in Canada in 2016      +7

The royal was also seen wearing a black alpaca fur hat earlier that same week when she visited the Nobel Museum in Stockholm.

Kate and Prince William were slammed by animal rights activists in 2016 when they were shown wearing otter fur scarves they had been given while visiting the First Nations Haida Community during an official tour of Canada.

The scarves were given by the tribe as a sign of welcome and respect.

The Duchess has also been criticised for wearing fake fur hats when they have been identified as real fur.

The International Fur Trade Federation accused her of wearing an animal fur bobble hat when she was pictured in the garment in London in 2012.

However, Buckingham Palace quickly corrected them, and revealed the hat was, in fact, fake fur.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in London in October this year as they attend the WellChild Awards

 Meghan has never been pictured wearing real fur, and has even been heralded as vegan-fashion royalty by animal rights activists.

The Duchess was said to be strongly opposed to wearing in real fur in 2018 by her close friend Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne, who works in talent management, reports the Independent.

The 52-year-old, who worked as the royal's commercial agent for two years, revealed Meghan has a strict no-fur policy.

She is also said to love vegan leather, according to Good Housekeeping.

During an interview with the publication, she said: 'Personally, I love cropped pants in vegan leather, a great fitted blazer and a button-down [shirt].'

In 1962, she wore a leopard-skin coat to a Sandown Park race meeting.

In 2006, Kate Middleton, before she married the Duke of Cambridge, was accused of being out of touch after being seen in what appeared to be a mink hat at the Cheltenham races.

The Duchess of Cornwall was criticised for wearing a rabbit fur stole during a tour of Canada in 2009.

On the same trip, she also wore a fawn-coloured calf-length cape lined with grey fur.

The fur in the garment had belonged to her grandmother and was re-fashioned for the occasion