Princess of Wales Kate Middleton is reportedly standing firm against a controversial royal tradition that her eldest son, Prince George, is expected to be introduced to this summer.
According to a Hello! magazine report, the 11-year-old future king may soon be considered old enough to take part in a centuries-old aristocratic custom long practiced by members of the British royal family: stag hunting. However, Kate is said to be firmly opposed to the initiation ceremony known as “blooding,” a practice many view as outdated and gruesome.
The tradition involves young royals and aristocrats partaking in hunting activities, with the initiation sometimes culminating in the symbolic smearing of blood on the participant’s face after a successful hunt, per the Express.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe, author of Prince Harry: The Inside Story, claims that Prince George is now approaching the age where such rites are considered appropriate by royal standards. He suggests the family’s upcoming summer retreat to Balmoral, the royal estate in Scotland, could be when the tradition is introduced.
“Years ago, Kate joined the royals on a shoot,” Larcombe told Marie Claire, referencing her previous participation in such outings. However, he notes that her position has since changed, especially as a mother.
Supporting this claim, royal commentator Tom Quinn revealed that the Princess of Wales has been clear in her stance against involving her children in blooding. “Charles’s daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children,” Quinn stated.
Kate’s opposition to the practice is not new. It was previously reported that she had expressly forbidden all three of her children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—from participating in the controversial ritual, citing her personal values and desire to shield them from such traditions.
In the book Yes, Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, author Tom Quinn revealed (via the Daily Mail), “Charles’s daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children.”
Though stag hunting remains a cultural mainstay among certain royal circles, it has come under increasing criticism in recent years due to changing public attitudes toward animal rights and conservation. The Duchess’s decision appears to reflect a growing sensitivity within the younger generation of royals toward such issues.
With Prince George’s royal future already under the microscope, his upbringing—and the values instilled in him—remain a focal point of public interest. If Kate Middleton maintains her firm stance, it may signal a broader shift in how royal children are introduced to tradition in the modern monarchy.