Future king could be introduced to controversial hunting ritual during Balmoral retreat
Prince George is nearing an age where he may be introduced to one of the royal family's most controversial traditions—a hunting ritual that left his uncle, Prince Harry, deeply shaken.
As the Wales family prepares for their annual summer retreat to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, speculation is growing that the 11-year-old heir may soon take part in a centuries-old initiation tied to stag hunting. According to royal biographer Duncan Larcombe, the tradition involves young royals joining their fathers on Highland shoots and undergoing a symbolic ritual following their first successful hunt.
“Traditionally, the blood of a hunter’s first kill is spread on their face,” Larcombe explained in a previous interview with Woman magazine. The act, he noted, is a long-standing royal rite of passage—but one not without controversy.
Prince Harry shared his own traumatic experience with the ritual in his memoir Spare, describing how he was just 15 when he took part. He recounted being pushed toward the animal’s carcass, his face smeared with blood and entrails, and feeling overwhelmed and horrified by the experience. “My nose and mouth were full of blood, guts, and a deep, upsetting warmth,” he wrote, adding that he was told not to wipe the blood off and to let it dry.
Now, with George turning 12 this month, royal watchers believe the young prince may be introduced to the same experience—though the Palace has declined to comment on the matter. While Princess Catherine has previously joined royal family hunting outings, it remains uncertain whether she would support her eldest son’s participation in such a practice, especially given its harsh and graphic nature.
As Prince George continues to grow into his role as future monarch, the tradition—if upheld—would mark a significant, if controversial, milestone in his royal upbringing.
