Kate Middleton has apparently decided that she doesn’t want her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, to participate in hunting for sport, which is an ancient royal tradition.
Young Royals Shoot The Animal And Smear Blood On Their Face
In the new book Yes, Ma’am – The Secret Life Of Royal Servants, author Tom Quinn disclosed that the Princess of Wales was emphatic. She does not want her kids to follow in their father’s footsteps by learning to shoot.
The ritual is where the young royals go shooting and smear the blood of the poor animal across their face. It’s typically a deer or a fox.
This writer, who works in animal rescue, applauds Kate for taking a stand. All forms of hunting are cruel, and killing a deer is awful enough. However, foxes are magnificent animals, so this royal tradition should be discontinued.
The King went through this gory “initiation,” as did Prince William and Prince Harry. Harry described in great detail how he stalked and shot his first kill at age fifteen in his tell-all memoir, “Spare.”
Harry described how his guide, Sandy, bled the animal from its neck. He then cut its stomach open with a knife, and Harry’s head was pushed into the carcass.
As if that weren’t brutal enough, Harry further described the experience,
“He placed a hand gently behind my neck and pushed my head inside the carcass,”
He explained.
“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 from my stomach,”
He shared.
“After a minute, I couldn’t smell anything because I couldn’t breathe. My nose and mouth were full of blood, guts, and deep, upsetting warmth.”
Hunting Is Seen As A Rite Of Passage
Upon the book’s release, Harry faced stark criticism from animal charity PETA for his in-depth and gory description of this killing ritual.
The goal of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is to end animal abuse. They promote the rights of those animals who need someone with a voice to speak up for them.
Harry claimed the act of hunting was a “Show of respect for the slain” and “an act of communion by the slayer.”
Harry also explained that this was how the royals crossed from boyhood into manhood. It’s supposedly like a rite of passage.
Kate Middleton has complicated feelings about “blood sports” despite William’s known love for shooting. However, he’s been trying to move away from particular royal pastimes and may consider that hunting may not be right for George, Charlotte, and Louis.
Hunting has become very controversial in recent years. In 2014, a photo of Sussanah Constantine’s ten-year-old daughter smeared her face with blood after killing a duck made the rounds and sparked outrage.
Harry also came under fire with PETA for his Netflix docuseries, “Polo.” Polo involves horses running at high speeds, making sudden, sharp turns, and being overworked and used for profit.
In the end, it’s hard to support hunting. Kate Middleton is doing what’s best for her children. Also, the innocent creatures who don’t deserve to lose their lives to a blood sport.
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