700 years ago, King Edward III created the Fur Act of 1337, which prevents royals from wearing any type of fur in their ensembles. Although the rule still remains intact, many royals, including Queen Elizabeth II herself, have broken it time and time again.
In Kate Middleton's case, she has caused quite a bit of controversy not only for disobeying the Fur Act of 1337, but also for donning fur that was apparently real on several occasions. In 2016, it was reported by E! News that she was under close scrutiny from PETA after wearing a pair of possum-lined gloves during a royal family skiing trip. "If the gloves are indeed made of real fur, we'll be contacting Kate, who we imagine is unaware that possums killed for their fur are often caught in bone-crushing steel-jaw traps,' Mimi Bekhechi, director of PETA U.K., disclosed via a statement.
However, this wasn't the first time PETA had something to say in regard to Middleton wearing fur. In 2012, after being falsely accused by PETA of wearing a fur-lined coat, Middleton's communications team had to come forward in her defense, stating that her coat was made entirely of faux fur. It appears that when it comes to The Princess of Wales, sticking to King Edward III's fashion rule might be the better option.
