Future king could be introduced to controversial hunting ritual during
Balmoral retreat
Prince George is nearing an age where he may be introduced to one of the royal
family’s most controversial traditions—a hunting ritual that left his uncle,
Prince Harry, deeply shaken.
As the Wales family prepares for their annual summer retreat to Balmoral
Castle in Scotland, speculation is growing that the 11-year-old heir may soon
take part in a centuries-old initiation tied to stag hunting. According to
royal biographer Duncan Larcombe, the tradition involves young royals joining
their fathers on Highland shoots and undergoing a symbolic ritual following
their first successful hunt.
“Traditionally, the blood of a hunter’s first kill is spread on their face,”
Larcombe explained in a previous interview with Woman magazine. The act, he
noted, is a long-standing royal rite of passage—but one not without
controversy.
Prince Harry shared his own traumatic experience with the ritual in his memoir
Spare, describing how he was just 15 when he took part. He recounted being
pushed toward the animal’s carcass, his face smeared with blood and entrails,
and feeling overwhelmed and horrified by the experience. “My nose and mouth
were full of blood, guts, and a deep, upsetting warmth,” he wrote, adding that
he was told not to wipe the blood off and to let it dry.
Now, with George turning 12 this month, royal watchers believe the young
prince may be introduced to the same experience—though the Palace has declined
to comment on the matter. While Princess Catherine has previously joined royal
family hunting outings, it remains uncertain whether she would support her
eldest son’s participation in such a practice, especially given its harsh and
graphic nature.
As Prince George continues to grow into his role as future monarch, the
tradition—if upheld—would mark a significant, if controversial, milestone in
his royal upbringing.
