LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Animal rights campaigners were holding a meeting Tuesday with Britain 's Ministry of Defence to argue against the use of bearskin in the iconic furry headgear worn by royal guards at Buckingham Palace . A PETA activist in Sofia , Bulgaria earlier this year protests against UK troops wearing bearskin hats . Robbie LeBlanc , European director for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) , was meeting with Ann Taylor , the minister for defense equipment and support , the defense ministry said . `` We are hoping that they will switch to a humane synthetic alternative , '' a PETA spokeswoman said . PETA has been campaigning for years against the use of bearskin in the headgear , a familiar symbol of London worn by the guards who keep watch over royal buildings like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle . The hats are part of the footguards ' ceremonial dress , along with the bright red jackets . PETA says the bears used to produce the fur hats are killed cruelly and unnecessarily . `` It 's an absolute moral disgrace , '' said Mike Hancock , a British lawmaker who has joined PETA 's campaign against the bearskins . `` I do n't think the British public or tourists will mind if it 's synthetic fur , and I 'm absolutely amazed in this day and age that we see beautiful animals skinned and killed '' to produce the hats . A spokesman for the National Army Museum in London , Julian Farrance , said the fur comes only from Canadian bears that have died naturally , and that no bears are killed for the hats . Campaigners say they still want the defense ministry to use a different material . `` It still promotes the usage of animal fur in areas where it 's totally unnecessary , in my view , for fur to be used , '' said Glenda Jackson , another British lawmaker opposed to the use of the fur . The British Army 's use of the bearskin hats dates back to the Battle of Waterloo on in 1815 , when Wellington 's army defeated the French Imperial Guard in a victory that marked Napoleon 's downfall . The British soldiers captured the headgear from the defeated Imperial Guardsmen and have worn them ever since , although today the hats are only worn for ceremonial duties . Those British soldiers were renamed the Grenadier Guards to honor their defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guards . The Grenadiers are now among five bearskin-wearing regiments that guard British royal buildings . But each bearskin hat is heavy and can prove very hot for the wearer . `` There have been occasions where soldiers have suffered from heatstroke , because obviously wearing that much fur on your head ... can get quite warm , '' Farrance said .
Animal rights campaigners oppose UK royal guards wearing furry headgear . Scheduled to stage meeting with defense ministry in London Tuesday . Iconic headgear has been worn since the battle of Waterloo in 1815 . Army expert : Fur comes only from Canadian bears that have died naturally .