London, England
Just over one week ago, Kate Middleton was celebrating her marriage to Prince William and the beginning of her life as a member of the Royal Family, but her celebrations have been marred by controversy surrounding her wedding dress.
Sarah Burton was released without charge after her arrest on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon Sarah Burton, the designer who has achieved worldwide fame for designing that dress, was arrested on charges relating to the use of endangered animal fur in the construction of the wedding gown. After being interviewed for several hours and supplying information confirming that she was unaware of the intricacies of the material involved, she was released without charge. This leaves the new Duchess of Cambridge with some awkward questions to answer.
The animal fur in question is that of the extremely rare albino snow leopard. The snow leopard itself is an endangered species, but albino samples are so incredibly rare that we at the inquisitor were unable to obtain photographs. Albino snow leopards are not albinos in the true sense, as the fur of the cub slowly turns black as the animal grows, meaning that the fur used to line the wedding dress would have been taken from a cub, typically less than 4 months old.
Snow Leopards are extremely rare; the albino version is yet rarer still.
As of yet there have been no official statements from the Middleton family, although it has been reported that Kate’s sister Pippa was visibly shocked when confronted by journalists.
Albino Snow Leopard – The Facts
- Less than one in fifty born pure white
- So rare that photographic evidence is scarce
- Fur darkens after 4 months
- White leopards in Africa extremely sought after
Were rare snow leopards sacrificed in the making of this dress?
If Ms Middleton is found guilty of sanctioning the death of young leopard cubs to create her wedding dress, she could face a substantial fine and possibly jail time. Sarah Dykstra, fundraising officer and Leopard Conservation Specialist for the Worldwide Fund for Nature was horrified at the news.
‘To think that these incredibly rare and beautiful animals could have been slain and skinned when they are yet to reach 4 months old is terrible. If the Royal Family has in any way sanctioned this behaviour then they should be punished in the most severe terms possible. There is no way on Earth that one of the most endangered animals on the whole planet should be killed to line a wedding dress.’
The newlyweds are currently taking time to unwind following the wedding, before heading to an undisclosed location for their honeymoon. They may well find themselves facing some interesting questions when they return.
The Inquisitor 