People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced on their website that Camilla, the Queen consort of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, has decided not to add any new clothing items made of real fur to her wardrobe. According to PETA’s statement, Buckingham Palace had sent them a letter confirming that the queen “will not be acquiring any new fur garments,” along with her “best regards.”
The animal rights group expressed their approval of the decision, noting that it mirrors the actions of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who also made a similar commitment in 2019, despite not ceasing to wear items she already possessed. Camilla’s correspondence with PETA does not explicitly exclude this possibility.
Ingrid Newkirk, the founder of PETA, praised Queen Camilla for “embodying true royalty,” emphasizing that it is fitting for the British monarchy to uphold British values by acknowledging that fur has no place in society. She also criticized “the absurdity and disconnect” of the Ministry of Defense’s use of real bear fur for the royal guard’s caps.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has long been an advocate against the use of real fur, deeming it as both cruel and unnecessary in light of the availability of modern faux fur. The organization has specifically targeted the UK Defense Ministry’s use of bearskin for the iconic King’s Guards caps, arguing that each cap requires at least one bearskin to produce.
Established in 1980, PETA operates under the principal that animals should not be subjected to experimentation, consumption, or exploitation for entertainment purposes. The group also condemns what it terms as “speciesism” and a “human-supremacist worldview.”
PETA is known for its attention-grabbing PR tactics, which have included dressing members as meat products and distributing graphic comic books depicting skinned animals to children.
Nonetheless, despite its declared mission to combat animal exploitation and harm, PETA has faced severe criticism for the euthanasia rate in their animal shelters. Last year, their Virginia shelter euthanized 74% of all cats and dogs brought to them, which does show a significant improvement compared to the 99% rate from previous years.
(eTN): Queen Camilla Says No to Fur | re-post license | post content
