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Privacy NoticePrince George, the eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, might be introduced to a rather “gruesome” royal tradition during their annual visit to Balmoral estate this month, according to royal author Duncan Larcombe. In his 2017 book Prince Harry: The Inside Story, Duncan revealed that George, 11, could potentially join his father and other members of the Royal Family for a stag hunt, a controversial pastime long enjoyed by his ancestors. However, the royal commentator also hinted at a centuries-old “ritual” associated with the tradition that the young prince might have to face just like his father and uncle, Prince Harry, had to.

Prince George could be set to follow in his father’s footsteps with a gruesome tradition
(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

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Duncan wrote: “The Palace has refused to comment on claims that Prince George will be initiated into one of the slightly more gruesome royal traditions this summer.” He added: “It was reported that he will join his father on a stag-hunting shoot while they visit the Balmoral estate this month. Traditionally, the blood of a hunter’s first kill is spread on their face, a ritual that goes back centuries.” The author continued: “Years ago, Kate joined the royals on a shoot, but it’s unclear whether George will be expected to follow suit.”

William and Kate have reportedly taken George shooting since 2018
(Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

This wouldn’t be the first time such an unusual practice has been linked to the Royal Family. In Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, he recounted a time when his head was pushed inside a deer carcass, as reported by the Express. The Duke of Sussex’s hunting history came to light after he shot a deer on the Balmoral estate, and also revealed that he had killed a rabbit. His nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, then “smeared” a “dollop” of the rabbit’s blood “tenderly across his forehand, down his cheeks and nose”.

Prince Harry also spoke about taking part in the tradition
(Image: Getty)

The Royal Family has a long-standing tradition of hunting, with the late Queen Elizabeth known for her love of deer stalking. She even joined Prince Philip on tiger hunts in India during the 1960s. Moreover, a photo from 2004 surfaced showing Harry posing with a gun next to a dead water buffalo. Reports also suggest that William and Harry hunted wild boars in Spain in 2014. In 2002, The Mail on Sunday reported that King Charles had tried to persuade Tony Blair not to ban fox hunting, arguing it is “natural – in that it relies entirely on man’s ancient and, indeed, romantic relationship with dogs and horses.” The family also partakes in a pheasant shoot at Sandringham over the Christmas period and a grouse shooting at Corgarff. There have been reports that William and Kate have taken George on the shoots since he was five years old in 2018.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKate MiddletonPrince GeorgePrince HarryPrince PhilipPrince WilliamRoyal FamilyBalmoralWilliam and Kate