King Charles wanted to make new luxury fabric out of grey SQUIRREL fur, woman who turns possums into clothes in New Zealand reveals

• The King has a hatred for grey squirrels, introduced to the UK in Victorian times
• He previously backed government plans for a cull of grey squirrels in 2014

His hatred for the invasive common grey squirrel is such that he has previously backed plans to reduce their numbers by using traps containing contraceptives baited with Nutella.

But ever the pragmatist, King Charles also once explored the possibility of using their fur to create a luxury new fabric.

The bizarre-but-true tale emerged during a tour to New Zealand last week by the monarch’s sister, Princess Anne, who visited the sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand Untouched World, which has strong links to the royal family.

The company’s chief executive Peri Drysdale revealed afterwards that they previously worked with the King – then the Prince of Wales – in 2014, around the same time that he backed Government plans for a cull of grey squirrels, which were introduced to the UK in Victorian times and have decimated the native red squirrel population.

Apparently Charles was seriously impressed by the zero waste firm’s repurposing of possum fur, a marsupial considered to be a similar threat to native flora and fauna in New Zealand.

The King often speaks of his love for the red squirrels at Birkhall, his Scottish Estate. They are so tame that they will even come to him for nuts, pictured April 6, 2008

As patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust in the UK, the King has never shied away from his determination to ‘drive out’ the greys. Pictured: The then Prince of Wales speaking at the launch of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust at Levens Hall in Cumbria, April 3, 2009

Untouched World chief executive Peri Drysdale (centre) revealed that the company previously worked with the King. Pictured: Princess Anne speaks with Peri Drysdale in Christchurch, New Zealand

It has created a number of new fabrics including ‘Ecopossum’, a blend of top-quality merino wool, luxurious brush tail possum fibre and mulberry silk which apparently offers exceptional durability and warmth.

The future King wondered whether the same process could be applied to the pesky grey squirrel.

Apparently he went so far as to send several squirrel pelts across the world to be tested for suitability – although, alas, it was eventually concluded that their fur was too short to work with.

Ms Drysdale told New Zealand news website Stuff: ‘He wondered if the same could be done with grey squirrel fur. Like possums, the grey squirrels in the UK pose a serious threat to nesting birds and native trees.

‘We researched and tested the material that he sent to us, and while our conclusion was that the hair was too short to work with, we were impressed by his interest and delighted to receive a personal letter from him acknowledging that work.’

As patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust in the UK, the King has never shied away from his determination to ‘drive out’ the greys.

He often speaks of his love for the red squirrels at Birkhall, his Scottish Estate. They are so tame that they will even come to him for nuts.

In 2014 Charles backed backed Government plans to kill grey squirrels to protect the UK’s ‘much-loved’ native reds as part of a programme of ‘targeted and sustained action’.

He also gave his blessing three years later to another plan to dose them with contraceptives to massively reduce their numbers.

Although they are now a familiar – and to some, much loved – sight the length and breadth of Britain, grey squirrels, which are said to have been introduced to Britain by a Victorian banker and formed their first wild population in 1876, are widely considered to be destructive and dangerous.

In 2014 Charles backed backed Government plans to kill grey squirrels to protect the UK’s ‘much-loved’ native reds as part of a programme of ‘targeted and sustained action’. Pictured: The then Prince of Wales with a red squirrel at Hillsborough Castle, Belfast, April 9, 2019

King Charles once explored the possibility of using grey squirrel fur to create a luxury new fabric

The bizarre-but-true tale emerged during a tour to New Zealand last week by the monarch’s sister, Princess Anne, pictured in Christchurch, February 17, 2023

As well as taking over the red’s habitat, they carry squirrel pox. The virus does not harm the greys but is fatal to reds, causing them a slow and painful death.

The UK population of red squirrels is believed to have plummeted from 3.2 million in the 1870s to around 120,000 now, with just 15,000 in England.

Population strongholds remain in Scotland, Northumberland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Lake District as well as on islands such as Brownsea off Dorset.

By contrast, there are believed to be around 5 million grey squirrels now – enough for a new Coronation robe at least.

Princess Anne was in New Zealand for a low-key visit on behalf of the King as President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association.

She was even gifted a wrap made from a blend of Possum fur by the firm.

It previously supplied the late Queen Elizabeth, who put in a large order after being impressed by garments it made for a 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

‘Apparently someone at Government House gave the Queen our catalogue, and before we knew it, we were sending clothing to Buckingham Palace,’ Ms Drysdale said.

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