British military chiefs met with an animal rights group last week to discuss alternatives to the traditional bearskin hats famously worn by the guards at Buckingham Palace.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) held talks with Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials to put forward what they say are ethical alternatives to the 46cm tall fur hats worn by army guards.
Peta has previously discussed fake fur alternatives with the MoD but military bosses were unimpressed by them.
Now Peta has come up with an alternative shape, but insists its design could be as famous as the traditional hats.
“We can still have very regal-looking guards who look fantastic,” said Peta’s Europe director Robbie LeBlanc.
“We felt doing this kind of thing was a way of keeping with the times and keeping that iconic status.”
He said activists had talked to tourists outside Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II’s official residence in London, and most did not know the hats were made using fur from Canadian black bears.
“Most people think it’s fake fur and when they find out it’s real and it takes one bear to make a hat, they are appalled,” he said.
“Fur farming has been outlawed in Britain but we are paying other people with taxpayers’ money.
“We think we are a modern nation but the queen’s guards are walking round with an entire dead bear on their heads.”
The hats were first worn by British soldiers following victory over the French Imperial Guards in the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.
(AFP)
英國軍方將領上週與某動物保育團體會晤,商討替代白金漢宮侍衛著名的傳統熊皮高帽的方案。
善待動物組織(簡稱PETA)與國防部官員展開會談,針對陸軍侍衛配戴的四十六公分毛皮高帽,提出了他們認為人道的替代選擇。
PETA先前和國防部討論過以人造毛皮替代的方案,但軍方高層並未被打動。
現在PETA設計出不同樣式的帽子,堅稱新設計會和傳統高帽一樣聞名於世。
PETA歐洲事務負責人羅比.勒布朗說:「我們還是能保有看起來很棒的皇家侍衛。」
「我們認為這樣做不但符合時代潮流,也保有皇家侍衛的特色。」
他說,動物保育人士和伊莉莎白女王二世倫敦官邸─白金漢宮外的遊客交談後發現,他們大多不知道皇家侍衛的帽子是用加拿大黑熊的毛皮製成。
他說:「大多數人以為那是人造毛皮;當他們得知那是真的動物毛皮,而且一頭黑熊才能製成一頂帽子時,都被嚇壞了。」
「英國法律禁止飼養動物取其毛皮,但我們卻拿納稅人的錢向別國購買毛皮。」
「我們以為我們是現代化國家,但女王的侍衛卻個個頭頂著一頭死熊走來走去。」
一八一五年滑鐵盧之役擊敗法國皇家衛隊後,英國士兵才開始配戴這種毛皮高帽。
(法新社�翻譯:袁星塵)
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