Animal welfare activists staged a protest today outside the British embassy in Dublin to call for an end to the use of bearskin on hats worn by Buckingham Palace Guards.
Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) stripped down to their Union Jack underwear and covered themselves in fake blood as they called for the UK Ministry of Defence to use fake fur on the Queen's Palace Guards' ceremonial headgear.
Outside the British embassy in Dublin, John Carmody, one of the protesters, wearing only a faux fur hat and underwear, said: "We are here to urge the Ministry of Defence and the Queen to basically switch to fake alternatives to the royal headgear.
"We are here today to show there is a wonderful fake synthetic alternative. There is no excuse and basically we are trying to say to the Ministry of Defence in the UK, to please stop the murder of black bears."
Mr Carmody, who was holding a sign reading "Bare Skin Not Bear Skin" along with three women and another man, said Peta has given information to the Ministry of Defence on the alternatives.
"We are hoping that with these demonstrations taking place around Dublin today . . . it was Berlin last week and they are planned all over Europe . . . it will put some pressure on the Ministry of Defence," he said.
One of the protesters, Venus Reilly (21), from the Liberties in Dublin, said: "Black bears are being slaughtered for what is a hat, there are synthetic versions out there. They can get a good quality fake, the fake ones actually look as real as the real ones nowadays."
Ms Reilly said she did not mind protesting in her underwear as long as it spread the word on the use of bear fur.
Mr Carmody said it took the entire hide of one bear to make one hat. Campaigners said some of the bears killed are shot several times before they die, with some escaping and bleeding to death.
In May, around 70 men and women staged a naked protest against the use of bearskin on steps near St Paul's Cathedral in central London.
A spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Dublin said: "Regrettably efforts to find a faux fur alternative to real fur have so far proved unsuccessful for a number of reasons.
"The Ministry of Defence is committed to working with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to try and find a suitable faux material.
"Over the past four years no pelts have had to be purchased following the success of the policy to refurbish rather than replace wherever possible. The Ministry of Defence remains committed to trial any suitable sample provided by Peta or any other supplier."