Duchess swaps fur for faux after outcry over Russian-style hat
THE Duchess of Cornwall has decided to stop wearing real fur in favour of “bespoke” fake alternatives after an outcry over her choice of a Russianstyle hat, it has been claimed.
It comes seven years after the Duchess was criticised for wearing the garment made from authentic pelt at the Royal family’s Christmas Day church service at Sandringham in 2010.
Fur farms were banned in the UK in 2000, amid concerns over animal cruelty.
The Duchess is now said to favour fake fur-trimmed hats from Lock & Co, and was seen wearing one at this year’s service. But it means there is no longer a place in her wardrobe for the item that caused the initial uproar – a dark brown hat made from vintage fur that originally belonged to her grandmother and was “upcycled” by Philip Treacy, an acclaimed milliner.
Her new hats are said to resemble some of the company’s existing models, which can cost more than £600, but all have been made to order.
The Duchess is thought to have worn them to the Grenfell Tower memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral and on an official trip to Denmark.
Lock & Co, which is based in St James Street, close to St James’s Palace and Pall Mall, already boasts a royal warrant as hatter to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.
A spokesman told The Mail on Sunday: “Camilla is a customer. The hats are a bespoke order with faux-fur trim. The hat sits low on the head and keeps you warm. It’s quite water-resistant and good for winter.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to confirm whether the Duchess and other members of the Royal family will forego wearing fur in the future.