Peta has condemned the Government's handling of bearskin cap procurement, describing the surge in orders as "indefensible" given Labour's previous commitments on animal welfare.
Freedom of information data obtained by the animal rights organisation reveals that purchases of the iconic fur headwear worn by the King's Guards have increased more than fourfold since Labour entered office.
The criticism comes despite the party's 2018 pledge to prohibit fur imports and a 2025 Defra policy paper promising what ministers called "the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation."
The organisation is now demanding that the Ministry of Defence switch to synthetic alternatives.
Peta has condemned Labour's 'indefensible' surge of bearskin cap orders for the King's Guards
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The number of caps ordered jumped from 22 in 2024 to 96 in 2025, with the MoD spending in excess of £225,000 on the latest batch.
Price per cap also climbed by nearly eight per cent compared with the previous year.
The distinctive black headpieces have been part of military tradition since their introduction after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, originally designed to give soldiers a taller, more imposing appearance.
They remain standard ceremonial dress for foot soldiers across five regiments: the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards and Welsh Guards stationed at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace.
King Charles III, Colonel in Chief of the Coldstream Guards, inspecting the regiment in 2025
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Kate Werner, Peta's senior campaigns manager, said: "Each cap costs a bear their life making it indefensible that a Government claiming to be the 'party of animal welfare' continues to use taxpayer money on these purely ornamental caps."
She added: "With modern, high-quality faux fur readily available, there is no excuse to continue using bear fur. The MoD must act and develop a humane faux fur cap."
The animal rights group has urged Defence Minister Luke Pollard to direct the MoD's capmakers to develop and implement synthetic fur alternatives for the ceremonial headwear.
According to Peta, the pelts are sourced from Canada, where bears are hunted using high-powered crossbows - a practice that would be illegal on British soil.
Peta's Senior campaign manager, Kate Werner, posing with a faux fur bearskin hat
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The organisation claims many animals are struck multiple times, with some wounded bears escaping only to perish from blood loss, infection, starvation or dehydration.
Peta has alleged that hunters lure the animals using buckets filled with sweet food before shooting them, adding that continued demand for the caps sustains the market for bear pelts and encourages further killing.
An MoD spokesperson defended the procurement, stating: "We procure the minimum number of bearskin caps to replace those which have seen extensive use over extended years."