The British royal family is famous for its numerous traditions and strict rules. Unlike her sister-in-law Meghan Markle (43), Princess Kate (43) has never had issues with royal protocol. For many years, she and Prince William (42) have been the model couple of the Royal Family. However, one centuries-old tradition has pushed Kate to her limits.
According to royal expert Tom Quinn (69) in his new book Yes, Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants, the Princess of Wales strongly opposed a bloody ritual. This tradition dictates that young members of the royal family must participate in hunting and then have the blood of their first kill smeared on their faces. The hunted animals are typically deer or foxes.
It seems Kate wanted to spare her children—Prince George (11), Princess Charlotte (6), and Prince Louis (9)—from this grim experience. According to Daily Mail, Quinn wrote in his book that Kate fiercely opposed it: “Catherine, Princess of Wales, King Charles’ daughter-in-law, fought hard and insisted that there would be no bloodshed for her children.”
In contrast, King Charles (76), Prince William, and Prince Harry (40) all took part in this ritual as children. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry described the bloody tradition in detail. He recounted that at the age of 15, he shot a deer on the Balmoral estate. His hunting guide, Sandy, then slit the animal’s belly open.
“He gently placed a hand on my neck and… pushed my head into the carcass. I tried to pull away, but Sandy forced me in deeper. His incredible strength shocked me. And the smell… hellish. My breakfast felt like it was about to leap out of my stomach.”
These shocking descriptions contributed to Prince Harry’s memoir breaking records, though it was not necessarily a pleasant achievement.
