Kate Middleton Wore Possum Fur Gloves? PETA Raises Questions After Skiing Trip Photos Released

Kate Middleton was slammed by PETA for wearing fur gloves during her Skiing trip with husband Prince William in the French Alps over the weekend. Photos from Middleton’s four-day skiing holiday were released by Kensington Palace Monday.

Kensington Palace released a series of six photographs from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s snowy vacation, which was inspired by other snow-loving European royals. In the photos, Middleton is seen wearing white E+O ski jacket with fur hood paired with red ski trousers. She covered her head with a woollen hat and wore Sorel Women’s Caribou boots. However, the 34-year-old’s fur gloves raised some eyebrows.

According to Gossip Cop, Middleton wore Alexski’s women’s ski mittens, which are made with leather and real fur. The brand reportedly said that each $420 pair contains a “full lining of possum fur.”

Middleton and William flew to the Alps on March 2 along with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

“If the gloves are indeed made of real fur, we’ll be contacting Kate, who we imagine is unaware that opossums (commonly called possums) killed for their fur are often caught in bone-crushing steel-jaw traps,” PETA’s U.K. director Mimi Bekhechi told Gossip Cop. “Animals who are not killed outright by these devices can endure horrific injuries and languish for days before eventually dying of hunger, thirst or blood loss. Some trapped animals, especially mothers desperate to return to their young, chew through their limbs in a frantic attempt to escape.”

She also reportedly added: “Since so many humane, warm and fashionable fabrics are readily available, there’s no need to wear fur — opossum or otherwise.”

Middleton has been a supporter of wildlife conservation. The duchess, in 2014, promoted an end to wildlife poaching around the world. She had travelled to New York City along with William to advocate for United For Wildlife.