The Queen of England Ditches Fur for Good

Starting this winter, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will no longer wear 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,” The Queen’s official dresser (stylist) Angela Kelly wrote in her new memoir, excerpts of which were reported this week by Vogue. Animal-rights organizations that have worked to end the cruel fur trade industry globally applauded The Queen’s decision to no longer wear fur. “Times are changing and we congratulate the Queen for having changed with them. Everyone, from royalty to the everyday shopper on the street, knows that we don’t need to abuse and kill animals in order to look luxurious,” Connor Jackson, CEO of Open Cages, said. “We encourage the UK government to follow in the Queen’s footsteps and use Brexit as a chance to ban fur importation into the country for good.” 

In 2000, the United Kingdom was the first country in the world to ban fur farming but it continues to import the cruelly begotten material from other countries. Humane Society International (HSI) UK launched the #FurFreeBritain campaign to encourage the country to ban fur sales and welcomes The Queen’s compassionate move. “We are thrilled that Her Majesty has officially 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,” HSI UK Executive Director Claire Bass said. “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 UK banned fur farming almost two decades ago because it was deemed too cruel, now we must finish the job and ban fur sales, too. We are calling on the British government to follow Her Majesty’s example and make the UK the first country in the world to ban the sale of animal fur.”