Buckingham Palace has written to an animal rights group to confirm that Queen Camilla will no longer buy clothes that include animal pelts.
The letter sent to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and seen by CNN, said that: “Her Majesty will not procure any new fur garments.” It is unclear, however, what the Queen’s position is with regard to fur items in her existing wardrobe.
The move follows a similar stand taken by her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled out buying new fur products back in 2019.
The palace’s correspondence was in response to a letter sent by PETA to the Queen in April. In it, Elisa Allen, vice president of the organization’s UK programs and operations, detailed the cruel practices which, it says, are employed in the fur industry, as well its impact on the environment.
The charity’s founder, Ingrid Newkirk, welcomed the news. In a statement sent to CNN, she said: “PETA is toasting to Queen Camilla with a glass of the finest claret for being a true queen by standing with the 95% of British people who also refuse to wear animal fur, as polls show.”
News of the decision taken by Queen Elizabeth II was divulged by her senior dresser, Angela Kelly. In her book “The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe,” Kelly 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.”
PETA encourages owners to donate existing items to its “fur amnesty program,” which sends them on to “the homeless, refugees, and people in war-torn areas to help keep them warm in the winter months.” Explaining the rationale, it states on its website: “We can’t bring back the animals who suffered for these coats, but we can use old furs to help humans who desperately need them.”
Source : CNN
