Queen Elizabeth II is going fur-free
London — Queen Elizabeth II has followed a trend for ethical fashion, vowing to go fur-free. The British monarch's long-time official "dresser" has said the only fur in the queen's new outfits from this season will be fake.
It was one of the revelations from the recent book by senior dresser Angel Kelly, written after 25 years working intimately with the monarch, who is now 93.
In her memoir, "The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen,The Dresser and The Wardrobe," Kelly said that "if Her Majesty is due to attend an engagement in particularly cold weather, from 2019 onward fake fur will be used to make sure she stays warm."
Fur has been a staple of queen's wardrobe for decades. She's traditionally worn pelts throughout the winter, particularly in the form of shawls and scarves paired with formal gowns, to keep her shoulders warm. A palace representative confirmed to Britain's Daily Telegraph that, as "new outfits are designed for the queen, any fur used will be fake."
The queen will not, however, stop wearing her ceremonial robes when duty requires, some of which include fur.
In her book, Kelly said some of the queen's coats would be directly replaced, including one of her favorites previously worn on a trip to Slovakia. The mink trim has been replaced with faux fur.
According to animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), more than 85% of the fur sold in the U.K. today comes from foreign fur farms in which animals are locked up in cruel conditions for their entire lives before being killed. In a tweet, the group said it was "raising a gin and Dubonnet to the Queen's compassionate decision to go fur free."
The queen is following the lead of her country; the United Kingdom became the world's first country to ban fur farming on ethical grounds in 2000, according to the Humane Society International (HSI). The HSI's Executive Director, Claire Bass, said the monarch's "decision to 'go faux' is the perfect reflection of the mood of the British public."
Bass also called on the British government to follow suit and make the U.K. the first country in the world to ban the sale of real animal furs.
Queen Elizabeth's farewell to fur comes as an increasing number of fashion designers, including major luxury brands Prada, Gucci and DKNY, decide to drop fur from their collections. Retail giant Macy's, Inc. announced it would stop selling fur items by the end of the 2020 fiscal year, making it the biggest U.S. retailer to take such a stand.
Two weeks earlier, California became the first U.S. state to ban both the sale and manufacture of animal fur products.
Some manufacturers have resisted the trend, however. U.S. brand Canada Goose is one of them; it uses coyote fur in the trim of its jackets. That decision has brought protests outside Canada Goose stores worldwide.
Other high-profile stars have already taken a stand against the use of fur, including Eva Mendes, who participated in PETA's "We'd Rather Go Naked" campaign 10 years ago.
