Kate Middleton is a picture perfect royal, always abiding by the royal rules—with one exception. The Princess has put a stop to a centuries old royal “blooding” tradition, according to Tom Quinn’s new book, Yes, Ma’am—The Secret Life of Royal Servants. Kate will not be having her three children participate, regardless of the rules. Keep reading for more information.
Gory Ancient Royal Tradition
The centuries-old tradition sees young royals going hunting and then having their faces "smeared with the blood of his or her first kill," Quinn describes. This is typically a stag or a fox, as Prince Harry described in his memoir, Spare.
In his book, he described the experience of killing a stag on the grounds of Balmoral at age 15 and having his head "pushed inside the carcass." Harry added that the tradition is a "show of respect for the slain" and "a way to mark the crossing from boyhood into...not manhood. No, not that. But something close."
Kate Middleton Puts Her Foot Down
No matter how sacred the tradition, Kate Middleton, who is known to take issue with blood sports, will not be having any of her three children participate in the tradition. "Charles's daughter in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children," a source told Femail.
This is not a surprise to anyone who knows much about Kate Middleton. In 2023, Quinn predicted this would be the case, knowing that while Prince William "keen" to get the kids into shooting, "few expected" Kate to "allow" her children to take part in the tradition.
