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    The "Centuries-Old Ritual" Prince George Might Be "Initiated Into" This Summer, Even Though Kate Middleton Disagrees With "Gruesome" Royal Tradition

    "The Palace has refused to comment."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 6 July 2025 In News

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    Kate Middleton wears a polka dot dress and sunglasses and talks to son Prince George who wears a navy suit with a striped tie
    (Image credit: Getty Images/Karwai Tang/WireImage)
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    Prince George might have a busy summer ahead of him, which could include his enrolment in a "centuries-old" Royal Family "ritual," according to one royal expert. In spite of his mom Kate Middleton's alleged opposition to the "gruesome" activity, the young prince might have to take part, a royal author has suggested.

    In the biography Prince Harry: The Inside Story, author Duncan Larcombe claimed that Prince George might be forced to take part in a "controversial pastime long enjoyed by his ancestors," per the Express.

    "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 wrote. "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."

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    Kate Middleton looks at Prince William, who is wearing military uniform in front of the British flag, while Prince George walks with his head down

    "It was reported that he will join his father on a stag-hunting shoot."

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    Larcombe further explained, "Years ago, Kate joined the royals on a shoot, but it's unclear whether George will be expected to follow suit."

    It was previously reported that Kate Middleton had forbidden her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—from taking part in the royal tradition of "blooding."

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    In the book Yes, Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, author Tom Quinn revealed (via the Daily Mail), "Charles's daughter in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children."

    Prince George at Trooping the Colour 2025 wearing a navy suit with a white shirt and a red tie, and joining the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony

    Prince George might have to join in with a "gruesome" royal "ritual."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

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    In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry wrote about his own horrifying experience of the "blooding" tradition. Describing the moment a hunter pushed his head inside an animal carcass, Harry wrote (via Hello! magazine), "I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper." He continued, "I was shocked by his insane strength. And by the infernal smell. My breakfast jumped up from my stomach."

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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