During Prince William and then-Kate Middleton’s courtship, she made an effort to “fit in” with William’s lifestyle, including hunting. The Middletons tried to do the same. It didn’t stick – Kate never goes on “shooting weekends” and I doubt she’s picked up a gun in years. There also doesn’t seem to be any effort to introduce the Wales kids into royal blood sports. I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s remarkable to see King Charles completely eschew the kind of “royal training” that royal grandparents have done for their grandchildren for generations. He was practically raised by his grandmother and his “uncle” Lord Mountbatten, and he was raised to enjoy hunting, shooting, fishing, deerstalking. He did all of that well into his 40s and 50s. Charles shows zero interest in molding his grandkids in the same way his surrogate father and mother figures raised him. Which means that it’s just William, Kate and Carole, trying to indoctrinate the Wales kids into their weird quasi-royal life. It also means that Kate gets to dictate much more about her kids’ upbringing than perhaps any consort before. Well, apparently, Kate has given a firm “no” to the “blooding” ritual.
The Princess of Wales has ‘put her foot down’ to stop her children having to take part in a centuries-old ‘blooding’ tradition, a new royal book claims. In Yes, Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants, which is out this month, author Tom Quinn revealed that Kate Middleton had insisted that her three kids not take part in an ancient practice.
The ritual sees young royals going shooting – and then having their faces ‘smeared with the blood of his or her first kill’; either a stag or a fox. But Catherine, who is known to have complicated feelings towards blood sports, was adamant that, Princes George, 11, and Louis, nine – as well as Princess Charlotte, six – avoid enduring the gory convention.
In an extract obtained by FEMAIL, he recounted: ‘Charles’s daughter in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children.’
The King himself had gone through the rite as a child, as did his two sons, Princes William and Harry. In his bombshell book, Spare, the Duke of Sussex entailed his experience at the age of 15, after killing a stag on the grounds of Balmoral. Harry described how his stalking guide, Sandy, then bled the animal from its neck and cut into its stomach with a knife – before the royal’s head was pushed into the carcass: “[He] placed a hand gently behind my neck, and… pushed my head inside the carcass. 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. 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.’
That part of Spare was one of the sickening parts which convinced me that the whole royal family was a huge f–king cult. I actually get the idea of smearing an animal’s blood on your face – it’s gross, but it makes some kind of sense. But what Harry described was not THAT. Anyway, I would imagine Kate has said no to “blooding,” just as she’s probably kept the kids away from hunting and guns.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace.
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- Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis walk to attend the “Together At Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain, December 6, 2024.,Image: 943708434, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Isabel Infantes/Avalon/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday in London. Featuring: Prince George Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- The Prince of Wales, Prince Louis, Prince George, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte following the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham Where: Sandringham, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Members of the British Royal Family attend a Christmas service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate Featuring: Princess Charlotte, Prince George, William Prince of Wales Where: Sandringham, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Princess of Wales talks with members of staff during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Jan 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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Good for her.
I don’t see the point in harming animals for “fun” or for “sport”.
This is not the 1500s.
She participated in it. The attempts at rewriting history are appalling. Still pictures on the internet hunting with William. Her parents even went on Hunting Parties.
And maybe she’s since had a change of heart. In which case, good for her.
She sure did!! But now it’s not for her kids. She is lucky Chuckles isn’t so involved in her kids lives so I doubt she had to put her “foot down “ when Chuckles isn’t interested in it being taught.
Maybe she read Spare and the description nauseated her.
I’m sorry, I don’t give her the benefit of the doubt. If she were repulsed by it she would not have wanted to do it in the first place. She also picked up dead birds that William shot out of the sky.
Never said I liked her or think she’s a kind person.
Just that in this case, I think that’s good for her.
It’s no wonder the BRF are so emotionally stunned and damaged. Who TF would shove their kid’s head into a dead animal?
Kate did whatever it took to “fit in” in order to get the ring. If William had told her to commit murder she would have done so. Her children are born royal, in the direct line, so they won’t have to sell their souls to get anything.
I recall a bunch of rota ratchets screeching at Meghan for “forbidding” Harry from going hunting–when they claimed she was a vegan because she chose to eat vegan at times-this was the reason for her “not fitting in” and “not accepting their royal traditions.”
It was racism all along. Exhibit number 98406873040.
Good point. Where are the cries about Kate being too woke?
Kate isn’t woke, she was concerned about the colour of Archie’s skin.
Well yeah obvs but the telegraph crowd would call not wanting to follow in this bloody royal tradition woke and crucify Meghan for it. Except that in this case it’s supposedly Kate.
This really is an excellent point. The media absolutely got on its high horse about Meghan emasculating Harry with regards to hunting. They are, quite simply, the very worst.
I don’t believe a word of it, Kate was seen wielding a shotgun and picking up dead birds for William. George was taken hunting. More St. Kate spin.
Exactly. This is a total lie from Tom Quinn. Kate participates in blood sports and George already joined William to watch him shooting when he was only age 8. It’s amazing what spare being published has done. Now they want to rewrite history.
Wasn’t Meghan called woke for not wanting to take part in hunting? Didn’t they denigrate Harry for being led by the nose by Meghan for not hunting anymore?
Looks who’s being praised for showing the bare semblance of humanity 🙄
Exactly 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
royalists say that every bit of the birds shot are used for food. I don’t believe that, they blast birds out of the sky for “fun.”
Two things can be true at once: the birds are eaten, and the royals still enjoy killing them.
I find the whole thing revolting, but then again, I’m vegan.
You are right. There are people who have revealed that the amount of birds shot is too many to be processed for food. Some are likely eaten but not all. There are other environmental reasons for protesting the shoots. The estates are managed to optimize conditions for the one species and include predator “control” and harm to other species.
Exactly. The gamekeepers on these big pheasant and grouse shooting estates regularly poison birds of prey, even when they are endangered.
From Queen Elizabeth back in time. Hunting was actually for food. And being a good hunter proved you were capable of taking care of yourself and your family. Something the Royal family tried to prove to the public. All to keep their royal titles. But hunting isn’t needed anymore to show that your can provide. And now the Royals don’t do anything to show they can provide leadership for the country. Which is why William will probably be the last King of England. And who honestly believes that Kate has any say in how the kids are raised. Nanny Maria take her orders from William and Charles.
Sorry, but this bothers me. It’s not the King of England, it’s the King of the UK. It’s like saying Trump is the president of Washington. There are other countries in the UK besides England: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Fail — failing to get the kids’ ages right.
I don’t get hunting, unless it’s for meat to be consumed, which would disqualify e.g foxes. Same goes for using several types of munition that seem to be popular amongst hunting parties in the British countryside.
It’s OK to forego some of the ancient royal rituals, but Kate shouldn’t pretend she’s better than everyone else just because of her origins. In well-documented cases like being a snob, a CU Next Tuesday, and being not very bright — she’s the typical aristo wife of the last century of the last millennium.
Dummies at the Fail can’t even get the kids’ ages right. They’re talking out their asses.
William has taken George hunting at least several times up at Balmoral. There are even photos of Kate driving out to meet for lunch during the hunt. Maybe she doesn’t want the blooding which sounds barbaric, but she definitely lets him hunt.
That is total bs because Carole Middleton went and set up a whole pheasant shoot on the Boxing Day that William decided would not be spent at Balmoral.
Kate may be against the blooding, but she’s not against hunting and George was mentioned as taking part a few years ago.
Hmm. I’d imagine she wouldn’t want her kids doing the blooding ritual that Harry went through. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t being introduced to hunting. Any less we hear otherwise.
Archaic and gross Yet another disgusting patriarchal ritual.. PS I believe they did that inthe original The Omen film.
Just to note for us Americans, British upper crust hunting is closer to trap shooting with live animals than what most of us grew up calling hunting. There is zero tracking and zero chance for the animal to use its natural instincts and skills to avoid the hunter.
I am all for ethical, skill based hunting, especially in areas where an animal population is a risk to the ecosystem. Due to our own hubris, animals like hogs and deer are overpopulated and destroy entire ecosystems.
Yes. And no managed areas where some species are given precedence over the preservation of others like is done with estates for the bird hunting.
So would a more accurate term for what they do be slaughtering?
The excerpt says she’s against the blooding ritual, not hunting. It’s not a contradiction to find aspects of hunting inappropriate for children. I find shooting animals to be rather savage but I didn’t grow up with it. So, good for her.
Animals are still shot down. I am not giving Kate any credit for this, it’s about Her PR trying to raise her up to be a saint.
Kate didn’t grow up with it either but she made sure to wear her fur hat and be photographed with a shot gun when she would attend the Boxing Day event. Had she been against hunting from day one then fine, but she sure is fine with the animals being killed and worn as hats.
I don’t see the problem with Kate changing her stance on hunting when it comes to the kids. Giving her no credit for her position on blooding is the same as giving her too much credit. Diana didn’t want Will and Harry to hunt but she gave in to family traditions.
Okay then, Kate can get some credit for not wanting her kids’ faces stuffed in a bloody carcass. As many many parents wouldn’t want their children to do. Applause applause.
Maybe Kate and William aren’t taking the kids hunting for a simpler reason? It would require some effort on their part? And Kate was into hunting, there are photos of her doing so. Though that could have been when she was cosplaying as a “suitable for the role of royal wife” girlfriend.
Do we really know that Kate’s really into hunting? There was a time when she would have, and probably did, anything that William (or Carole) suggested, including sleeping with his friends to “prove that she loved him” as well as participating in various blood sports. I think that to this day, she has few interests that are truly her own, she is that incurious and shallow.
She apparently killed animals. If she were repulsed by it she would not have participated
Charles quite likely found the blooding stuff traumatic. There is likely quite a bit more in his childhood that was damaging than just the parts he told in his authorized bio. It didn’t keep him from passing on the trauma to W and H though.
Charles went fox hunting for years, one of the more cruel sports and he was upset that it was banned. I don’t think he found hunting traumatic.
Also they mixed up the kids’ ages. They have Charlotte as the youngest child. Can’t the Mail afford a good editor?
I doubt Kate has the power to dictate how the children are raised as royals. Even her own mother has sided with the future king against her in the past. As long as she’s coddled and infantilised, she’s “all right Jack”.
Gawd, her eyes are so lifeless and blank.
I wonder if Charles would like to be able to “mold” his grandkids but is being shut down by the Wales’? We’ve heard reports over the years, back and forth between Carole and Charles, which leads me to believe that he would like a larger role in their lives but between Carole and his prickly relationship with William it just isn’t happening.
Only thing is that William likes hunting.
I grew up where the school was closed November 15 for the opening day of deer season, I will never understand the appeal of hunting. I certainly never went, but it was nice to get the day to sleep in.
There are photos on the Internet of Kate going hunting with Charles.
What in the made up nonsense is these kids ages?
Reading that I heard a record scratch once I got to, “Princes George, 11, and Louis, nine – as well as Princess Charlotte, six.”
I mean, I know the Mail doesn’t fact check or recall anything clearly, but damn.
The number of times they repeat that information they must all know them off by heart.
“Princes George, 11, and Louis, nine – as well as Princess Charlotte, six ……” What? Princess Charlotte is the middle child for heaven’s sake!
I may just be a suspicious kind of person, but I detect an undertone of Kate doesn’t quite fit in, that she doesn’t care for some of the lifestyle. I wonder if this can be part of setting her up to be separated and then divorced? You know the kind of thing, she seeks a different kind of life, she can’t be the wife William wants, blah blah.
A quick Google of Kate Middleton hunting will show she is an avid hunter who even owns her own shotgun and takes the kids on deer and bird shoots.
Granted, it’s not unheard of for a parent to change their stance if a child is tenderhearted, but my own suspicious nature tells me they are priming the pump for more “Kate and her two youngest elected to stay home” stories.
Did kate change her stance because William prefers to go solo (or with someone else) on hunting trips in Spain?
He did recently go over Christmas right? At that rich guy’s place in Spain. The one who recently had that wedding.
I don’t think William ever wanted a wife to begin with.
The royals are absolutely a death cult. Each generation waits for the previous one to die, ad infinitum.