Bearskins

[johnny37]

What is the purpose of this headgear. Sorry but I thought Prince Phil looked rather silly at the Trooping the Colour.

[Mosaic]

What a good question Johnny - they do look utterly daft. Here's all I know about the subject:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearskin

If you think about it seriously, most hats are ridiculous and useless.

[MichaelZZ]

Nothing to do with silly. The Trooping the Colour (aka The Queen's Birthday Parade) is a wonderful traditional spectacle that is loved by many, many people - as a quick glance at the crowds on The Mall and outside Buckinham Palace today will testify. Please don't ridicule Prince Philip!

[Mosaic]

You're telling me that wearing a dead animal on your head doesn't make you look daft?

[RATTER15]

lol MichaelZZ, you tell him!!


I think the bear skin is gradually being replaced by synthetic fibre now, got to be PC. and all that!

[ladyalex]

I thought it was to make the guardsmen look even bigger than they already are.
But what do I know....

[MichaelZZ]

I am saying that "daft" is nothing to do with it. You're missing the point of the Trooping the Colour.
If you want to have a laugh at someone else's expense, please don't try to have that laugh at the expense of our Royal Family.

[Brenden]

You wear them on your feet as well mosaic.

[RATTER15]

He looks ok, considering he got a big silly hat on his head!

http://www.google.co....d=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:72

[Mosaic]

What, bearskins?....D'oh....got it.
Here's some really daft hats that maybe cost less than your average military one
http://animalheadgear.com/

Having paid a good deal of my taxes to support Mr and Mrs Windsor I feel entitled to wring the juice out of them.

[jomifl]

I agree with Mosaic, the people who pay for the royals are entitled to maximize the enjoyment that they get from them however they can. Some may enjoy being looked down on others may like to look down upon, it's personal choice.

[shoota]

I understood that synthetic ones were trialled but rejected because they just didn't match up to the good old bearskins - some of which are antique.

[DrFilth]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearskin

[RATTER15]

Toes: >>Army officials say approximately 100 skins are taken every year from the annual cull of thousands of bears by native Inuit hunters in a Canadian government programme to keep numbers under control.<<

From Wikipedia.

[askyourgran]

My uncle was a Grenadier Guardsman and wore the bearskin. They were extremely proud of their uniform and took care of it. All servicemen are generally very proud of their regiments and dress code. Real fighting men with loyalty to their Queen and Regiments - not just for show. johnny, Mosaic have you ever served in the forces? = Didn't think so.

[Mosaic]

I've never been in the forces or fawned over daft hats or the windsors. If you're in the armed forces, you're apparently required to do both. Which is an odd way to protect a country from invasion.

[askyourgran]

Didn't think so mosaic, the Armed Forces makes men of most of its recruits, who in turn respect the laws of the land and are proud to fight to protect their Country. You may not know this but Britain has had a King or a Queen for hundreds of years, and a large percentage of the population respect that. Rather than have a get rich quick president who buys a whole aeroflots with the charitable handouts meant for the people, we have the best diplomatic service there is in our Royal Family.

[vulcan]

When I joined the RAF I pledged to serve queen and country. If you think that is the same as fawning, you don't' understand the word.

[jake-the-peg]

//the Armed Forces makes men of most of its recruits, who in turn respect the laws of the land //

That Gran is the funniest thing I've heard all day!

Funny then that 10% of our prison population is ex-servicemen

[MichaelZZ]

... or to put it another way, 90% of our prison population have never been in the forces...