The Royal Family are renowned for their numerous Christmas traditions, some of which are classic and others unique to them.
From attending a church service like many across the UK, to opening presents on Christmas Eve in honour of their German heritage, the royals’ day is enjoyed by all. However, every year, one tradition that typically takes place on Boxing Day draws significant criticism.
Like many royals before them, hunting has always been a favourite pastime – whether they’re shooting stags, grouses or pheasants. Despite its historical significance, there was backlash when it emerged that Prince George, 10, had joined his family to watch the hunt at just five years old.
Hunting has been the chosen sport of the royals for centuries, but it’s uncertain whether the tradition will continue this year. There’s another annual shoot that happens in the summer called Balmoral’s Glorious Twelfth, where the royals roam the Balmoral Estate in Scotland hunting young grouse.
While it’s unclear if family members participated in the annual season which starts on August 12 each year, the royals have enjoyed deerstalking on the estate for generations reports the Mirror. The hunt serves as a culling act for elderly stags likely to die during winter months, and as a way of controlling numbers.
William shot his first stag at 14 years old, a feat he was “delighted at the time”. Deerstalking has long been a cherished pursuit among the Royal Family, a tradition carried down through the ages.
King Charles earned the affectionate moniker “my killer Wales” from Princess Diana due to his passion for the sport.
Yet when it emerged that Prince George took part in a deerstalking event at the tender age of five, animal rights groups were quick to voice their concern. In 2020, PETA representative Mimi Bekhechi sharply criticised the exposure of such young children to hunting, stating: “For a child to be compelled to witness such casual killing – and by a parent he looks up to, no less – is potentially as harmful to his or her psyche as it is to the bird’s very life.”
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She warned further that witnessing animal suffering could serve to desensitise youngsters against cruelty – with potential ties to troubling behaviour in later life – and even possibly cause the prince nightmares.
Bekhechi insisted that teaching respect for all creatures is key in guiding him towards becoming a compassionate leader. Despite championing wildlife conservation, the Prince of Wales too has not escaped censure for his participation in hunting.
Princes William and Harry fell under scrutiny in 2014 following a boar hunting expedition on the Duke of Westminster’s estate in Spain; notably mere days before they supported a public stance against poaching and the illicit trade of wildlife.
Prince William, who is also the patron of the African conservation initiative Tusk, has been praised for his United For Wildlife campaign, which seeks to safeguard endangered species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants.
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