Kate Middleton, who is married to the heir to the British throne, isn’t a fan of every royal tradition.
Royal author Tom Quinn has claimed in his new book, “Yes Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants,” that the Princess of Wales isn’t allowing her three young children to participate in “blooding.”
This longtime ritual calls for members of the royal family to smear blood on their faces from their first kill during fox or stag hunting.
PRINCE WILLIAM STEALS KISS FROM KATE MIDDLETON IN RARE VALENTINE’S DAY PHOTO
Several royal experts told Fox News Digital they weren’t surprised by Quinn’s claim.
“Why would Princess Catherine allow her children to be traumatized by the archaic and barbaric blooding ritual?” said British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard.
“The great outdoors encompasses feel-good nature, life and healing, not a rite of passage and the acceptance of blood sports,” said Chard. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from authentic Princess Catherine. Blooding may be perceived as an aristocratic sport or royal tradition, but blood sports are inhumane and belong to the Dark Ages.”
According to an excerpt published by the UK’s DailyMail, the 43-year-old was adamant that Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, didn’t partake in what was described as an “ancient ritual.”
“[King] Charles’s daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children,” Quinn wrote, as quoted by the outlet. “The king himself had gone through the rite as a child, as did his two sons, Princes William and Harry.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed that Kate is greatly respected by both her husband and father-in-law, and they would welcome her more modern approach to parenting.
“Princess Catherine, coming from a middle-class family, wasn’t brought up with the same royal traditions,” Fordwich explained. “To date, she is seen by both Prince William and King Charles III as an excellent mother with great instincts.”
WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON MAKES KEY DECISIONS FOR ROYALS AS FUTURE QUEEN: EXPERT
“Prince William also wants to be seen as more current, in step with national trends,” Fordwich shared. “So, he has gone along with her preferences. Their home, unlike the former ways royal children were raised, has no live-in nanny or staff. Princess Catherine wants to have a ‘normal’ childhood for her children, which also includes each being assigned chores.”
In his 2023 book, “Gilded Youth,” Quinn claimed that William also wanted his family to get with the times.
“‘William is struggling with the traditional pastimes of the royal family as they become ever more unpopular with the public,” Quinn wrote, as quoted by the outlet.
“William loves shooting — a love he shares with his father — but he is also conscious that the tide is now moving against what many people now refer to as blood sports (the royals prefer to refer to them as field sports). But are they suitable for George, Charlotte and Louis?”
Quinn also wrote that while William, 42, was “keen” to get the children into shooting, he also noted that “few” expected Kate to “allow” her children to take part in the blooding tradition.
Kate, who has been described as a lover of the outdoors, displayed her appreciation in a video released in September 2024. At the time, the Princess of Wales announced she was cancer-free.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner said Kate’s reported decision was a no-brainer.
“The reality of shooting an animal and then smearing blood on a child’s face may be par for the course as a royal tradition where hunting and countryside sports are engaged enthusiastically,” Pelham Turner explained. “But we live in 2025, not 1725. Thus, the tradition is a brutal waste of an animal’s life.”
“Kate has a battle on her hands stopping practices like this,” he added.
Harry previously detailed his experience in his 2023 memoir, “Spare.” In it, the 40-year-old recalled how his hunting guide, Sandy, pressed his face into the belly wound of a stag he shot during a blooding ritual on the grounds of Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
“He placed a hand gently behind my neck and… pushed my head inside the carcass,” the Duke of Sussex wrote, as quoted by the New York Post.
“I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper,” the prince wrote. “I was shocked by his insane strength. And by the infernal smell. My breakfast jumped up from my stomach. 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.”
Harry wrote that he “felt swelling pride” that he had “been good to that stag” by killing it with a single shot so it wouldn’t feel pain. He said it was a “show of respect for the slain” and “an act of communion by the slayer.”
The outlet noted that the book’s revelations prompted animal rights organization PETA to condemn the father of two for his graphic descriptions.
Chard said that Kate’s modern approach to parenting is something the public will continue to see.
“Princess Catherine has a renewed sense of self and purpose as she gears up to her role as caring queen,” Chard explained. “She has achieved a happy balance, health and service-wise. This involves her children, and the centuries-old blooding doesn’t fall into either category.”
“It’s her mission to remind people to nurture their children,” she shared. “Her early years work is her lifelong passion. She reminds us to focus on well-being, family and to look out for each other.
“She will put her foot down… The Prince and Princess of Wales, paving the way as the modern, relatable face of the monarchy, realized that blooding is nothing to be proud of and should be totally eradicated.”
“The couple’s Royal Foundation carries out good charitable work tackling the illegal wildlife trade, thus it would be hypocritical for the Wales (family) to endorse blood sports,” Chard added.
William and Kate aren’t the only royals who’ve reportedly expressed concerns involving hunting.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, previously reported that Princess Diana wasn’t a fan of game shooting, which has been one of the royal family’s favorite activities for centuries. Seward claimed that the late Princess of Wales didn’t even like her sons being photographed holding guns.
Seward claimed Diana reportedly told William and Harry, “Remember, there’s always someone in a high-rise flat who doesn’t want to see you shoot a Bambi,” as quoted by the UK’s Express.
Still, the boys loved hunting, and Diana used to jokingly call them her “Killer Wales.”
Ken Wharfe, Diana’s former royal protection officer, also claimed that Diana was disgusted by hunting.
MEGHAN MARKLE CHANNELS PRINCESS DIANA IN NEW PHOTO AHEAD OF DELAYED NETFLIX SHOW LAUNCH
“The royal shooting obsession was something Princess Diana found repugnant,” Wharfe said, as quoted by the outlet. “Requiring little or no skill, royal pheasant shoots are a pre-planned carnage of wildlife, bred specifically for slaughter.”
