Lucy Davis has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to end the use of real bear fur in the King’s Guard caps.
In a letter, the actress asks for an urgent instruction to the Ministry of Defence.
She wants the department to use faux fur while preserving the caps’ ceremonial appearance. The campaign carries deeply personal stakes following Lucy’s stage four breast cancer diagnosis.
In August, Lucy revealed that her incurable cancer had spread to her bones. She said the diagnosis had made her think more closely about how much time remained.
Lucy Davis hopes to see fur-free caps in her lifetime in letter to Andy Burnham
Lucy told the Prime Minister: “I’ve spent much of my life advocating for animals.”
She then wrote: “I sincerely hope I get to see Britain finally commit to the caps being fur-free.”
Her closing question made the urgency clear: “Please, Prime Minister, won’t you make this happen in my lifetime?”
She also argued modern alternatives can maintain the caps’ tradition without killing bears.
Peta campaign targets Canadian bear fur
The Ministry of Defence purchases completed caps from capmakers, which obtain bear fur from Canada.
Peta said footage released in 2024 showed hunters baiting bears with sweet food before using high-powered crossbows.
The organisation alleged many bears were shot repeatedly. It said some wounded animals escaped before dying from blood loss, gangrene, starvation or dehydration.
Peta said this form of hunting is illegal in the UK under wildlife protection laws.
Lucy Davis first backed campaign in 2007
Lucy has supported Peta’s effort to change the ceremonial caps for nearly two decades.
She first partnered with the organisation in 2007 for a campaign opposing bear fur in the caps.
That advert showed her posing nude on a Union Jack while holding a teddy bear. She said then that one cap could cost a bear its life and cause wider suffering.
She also argued the impact could extend to an entire bear family.
At that time, Pamela Anderson, Sadie Frost, Dame Jilly Cooper and Amanda Holden also spoke against the practice.
Lucy became best known as receptionist Dawn Tinsley in Ricky Gervais’s BBC comedy The Office.
Her film credits include Shaun of the Dead and Wonder Woman. She also played Hilda Spellman in Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
When disclosing her illness, Lucy said the cancer had spread to her spine, right hip and ribs.
She said she was focused on enjoying whatever time remained and felt at peace with what comes next.
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