Princess Kate 'put her foot down to stop children George, Charlotte and Louis taking part in controversial royal tradition’
Kate's husband, William, underwent the ritual when was youngerPrincess Kate has reportedly made sure that her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will not be taking part in a controversial royal tradition.
Prince William and Prince Harry took part in the ancient tradition when they were younger. However, it seems as though Kate and the royals are keen to move away from it in the 21st century…
What is the hunting royal tradition?
The tradition in question is a hunting ritual that takes place after a royal youngster makes their first ever kill. The kill in question is usually a fox or a stag.
Once the animal is dead, the young royal will have the animal’s blood smeared on their face.
King Charles went through the rite of passage, as did Princes William and Harry. In his 2023 book, Spare, Harry wrote about the ancient tradition.
The Duke of Sussex explained how, when he was 15, he managed to shoot and kill a stag on the grounds of Balmoral. He described how his hunting guide, Sandy, bled the animal from its neck to its stomach. He then allegedly shoved Harry’s head inside the carcass.
Prince Harry on moment he had his head ‘pushed inside carcass’
“He placed a hand gently behind my neck, and… pushed my head inside the carcass,” Harry wrote.
“I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper. I was shocked by his insane strength. And by the infernal smell. My breakfast jumped up from my stomach,” he continued.
“After a minute I couldn’t smell anything, because I couldn’t breathe. My nose and mouth were full of blood, guts and a deep, upsetting warmth,” he added.
Harry then described the ritual as being a “show of respect for the slain” and “an act of communion by the slayer”.
Princess Kate ‘puts her foot down’ over children doing royal tradition
However, it’s been reported that Kate doesn’t want her children – George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and Louis, six, – to undergo the same ritual if they ever go shooting.
Royal author Tom Quinn has made the claim in his new book, Yes, Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants.
“Charles’s daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children,” he wrote, according to an extract obtained by the Daily Mail.
It’s been claimed in recent years that William is also keen to get away from blood sports.
In his book, Gilded Youth, Tom Quinn wrote: “William is struggling with the traditional pastimes of the royal family as they become ever more unpopular with the public.
“William loves shooting—a love he shares with his father—but he is also conscious that the tide is now moving against what many people now refer to as blood sports (the royals prefer to refer to them as field sports). But are they suitable for George, Charlotte, and Louis?”
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Kensington Palace for comment.
Read more: ‘Reasons’ behind Prince William and Princess Kate’s move to Windsor before his ‘hardest year yet’
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