Prince George might be in for a first at Balmoral this summer: stag hunting. The oldest of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children—and heir to the throne—the 11-year-old may reportedly go on his first shoot. As a result, George might, per a royal expert, take part in a “gruesome” tradition his uncle, Prince Harry, discussed vividly in Spare: blooding.
George will reportedly join William stag hunting at Balmoral
The British royal family has all sorts of traditions, whether it’s the holiday season or summering at Balmoral. George, who celebrated his birthday in July, may experience one for the first time while in Scotland.
According to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, the tradition of blooding, or putting blood on one’s face after shooting an animal for the first time, is a longheld Balmoral tradition, one that the Princess of Wales has even participated in. However, it’s “unclear” whether or not George will experience it himself.
“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,” Larcombe told Woman magazine (via Express).
“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.”
“Years ago, Kate joined the royals on a shoot,” he added. “But it’s unclear whether George will be expected to follow suit.”
Harry ‘couldn’t breathe’ and tried not to vomit after hunting at Balmoral
Balmoral Castle | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
In his January 2023 memoir, the Duke of Sussex recalled what happened after he shot his first stag at Balmoral. Harry eventually felt a “swelling pride.” First, however, he experienced shock when his “old school” guide, Sandy, instructed him to kneel.
“He placed a hand gently on my neck, and now I thought he was going to hug me, congratulate me. ‘Atta boy.’ Instead he pushed my head inside the carcass,” Harry wrote. “My breakfast jumped up from my stomach. Oh please oh please do not let me vomit inside a stag carcass.”
“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.”
Thinking “This is death” or the “ultimate blooding,” Harry went limp before, finally, Sandy pulled him out. As he began to wipe his face, which was “dripping” with blood, Sandy instructed him to “let it dry.”
George and the rest of the Wales family are at Balmoral
As Harry recalled in Spare, it’s tradition for the royal family to retreat to Scotland in August. (Like Queen Elizabeth II before him, King Charles III is known to spend much of the summer there.) George, along with his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as their parents, are said to already be at Balmoral enjoying their summer vacation.
On Aug. 25, 2024, Kate was spotted at Crathie Kirk, a small church near Balmoral royals are known to frequent during their stay (via Today). With the 42-year-old, who began cancer treatment in March, were William, King Charles, and Queen Camilla.
The sighting—with no official photos as it was a private outing—marks one of Kate’s few appearances of the summer following Trooping the Colour (June) and Wimbledon (July), with experts predicting no more big public appearances for a while.
