Princess Kate has reportedly ensured that her children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—will not participate in a long-standing but controversial royal custom.

Prince William and Prince Harry both took part in the tradition when they were younger, following in the footsteps of previous generations. However, it appears that Kate and the modern royals are eager to move away from this practice in the 21st century.

What is the Royal Hunting Tradition?

The ritual in question is a hunting tradition that follows a young royal’s first successful kill, typically a fox or stag. Afterward, the animal’s blood is smeared on their face as part of the custom.

King Charles, as well as Princes William and Harry, experienced this rite of passage. In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry shared his own account of the tradition, detailing the moment he participated at age 15 while hunting on the grounds of Balmoral.

Prince Harry on His Experience with the Ritual

Harry recalled how his hunting guide, Sandy, performed the ritual after he shot a stag. According to Harry, Sandy cut the animal open and then pushed his head inside the carcass.

“He placed a hand gently behind my neck, and… pushed my head inside the carcass,” he 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 described the tradition as a way to “show respect for the slain” and as “an act of communion by the slayer.”

Princess Kate Opposes the Tradition for Her Children

Reports suggest that Kate has firmly decided her children will not go through the same ritual, even if they engage in hunting.

Royal author Tom Quinn claims in his book Yes, Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants that Kate has made her stance clear.

“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 excerpt published by the Daily Mail.

Prince William’s Evolving View on Hunting Traditions

It has also been suggested that Prince William is moving away from blood sports.

In 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?”