Queen Elizabeth II will no longer wear fur starting this winter. Angela Kelly, the Queen’s official stylist, told Vogue that “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.”

Animals rights groups in the UK and beyond have applauded the Palace’s decision to stop wearing fur, and Conor Jackson, CEO of Open Cages said “Times are changing and we congratulate the Queen for having changed with them.”

UK first to ban fur farming

“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.”
Angela Kelly
Queen Elizabeth II’s official stylist

In 2000, the United Kingdom was the first country in the world to ban fur faming, but it does allow the importation of fur from other countries, a practice the Humane Society International (HSI) is hoping to end.

The British branch of the HSI launched a campaign #furfreebritain to encourage parliament to ban fur sales in the UK and was thrilled by the Queen’s decision to go “faux.”

The HSI Executive director UK, announced “Our Head of State going fur-free sends a powerful message that fur is firmly out of fashion and does not belong with Brand Britain. The UK banned fur farming almost two decades ago because it was deemed too cruel, now we must finish the job and ban fur sales, too. We are calling on the British government to follow Her Majesty’s example and make the UK the first country in the world to ban the sale of animal fur.”

California first state to ban fur sales

In the U.S., the laws on fur are more relaxed. There are very few U.S. federal statutes concerning fur animals. While there are several laws that protect animals such as the Lacey Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Fur Seal Act, and the Endangered Species Act, but these do not concern fur farms.

The U.S. also has a Fur Products Labeling Act, which mandates that garments containing fur be properly labeled, and it has a Dog and Cat Fur Protection Act, which prohibits dog and cat fur trade in the U.S.

However, this year California has become the first U.S. state to ban the sale of animal fur products. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday that will make it illegal to sell, donate or manufacture new fur products in the state.

The law is really about the selling of fur, not the wearing of fur. So it is legal for any California resident to travel to another state, buy a big fur coat and wear it back home.

But regardless of the bans, fur has become decidedly out of fashion. In the last two years alone Prada, Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, Chanel and other high-profile brands have announced fur-free policies.

In addition, online fashion retail platforms Net-A-Porter and Farfetch have introduced no-fur policies.

Time to go faux. If it’s good enough for the Queen, it’s good enough for me.