Prince Charles has seemingly taken a swipe at Prince Harry, after it was reported the Prince of Wales removed a “Harry” teddy bear from his family gift shop.
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Ordinarily, Highgrove Gardens gift shop in Gloucestershire, sell three bears with royal names, William, Harry and Louis – but there will be no Harrys this year.
According to the gift shop website, the Merrythought William and Louis teddies, which are crafted from gold alpaca hair and retail for £125 (approximately $AUD230), are the only two bears on sale from now on.
Featuring a gold embroidered Highgrove emblem on their paws, the William and Louis bears have honey-coloured eyes and come with green and burgundy satin bows respectively.
Despite the hefty price tag, the William plush toy has already sold out its entire limited edition run of 200 bears – unlike the Louis bear, of which there are 150.
“An ideal companion for anyone who loves bears, William arrives in a presentation box with a certificate of authenticity,” the website stated.
“William Bear is an exquisite piece of British heritage and a loyal companion to both adults and children alike.”
The decision to give Harry’s bear the flick comes after Charles was previously criticised for last year’s Harry bear, which was made from Angora goat mohair.
According to The Mirror, the Prince of Wales was forced to withdraw the limited edition teddy from his collection, after concerns were raised about animal cruelty.
In January, 2019, campaigners claimed that the animals were being manhandled, sheared roughly and left with gaping wounds, which resulted in many deaths.
After animal rights charity PETA reached out to the Windsors, informing them of their concerns, all mohair products were withdrawn by the Royal Collection Trust – a charity set up by the Queen and chaired by Charles.
At the time, a Highgrove Enterprises spokesperson claimed: “We will no longer be selling products manufactured using mohair once current stocks have sold out.”
But after several Harry bears were spotted at the Highgrove gift shop in June, 2019, PETA urged the Prince of Wales to remove the plush bears immediately.
PETA’s director Elisa Allen stated: “PETA commends Highgrove for confirming it will no longer sell mohair products.
“However, we would urge the store to follow in the footsteps of the Royal Collection shop by removing these items from sale immediately – and to consider donating them to a local children’s charity.”
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