Maltreated battery chickens deserve freedom as much as Meghan Markle

FOR me, the best part of the big interview the other night was when Meghan showed Ophrah her rescued battery chickens.

Battery fowl, unlike the free range ones, are subjected to high levels of stress.

They are prone to self-mutilation and cannibalism and, due to their restrictive environment, they cannot easily walk, nest, perch, or even stretch their wings.

Meghan’s brief but captivating focus on her lucky chickens will boost campaigns worldwide to highlight a cruel industry.

I also welcome the fact that the Duchess of Sussex is anti-bloodsports, a stance at variance with the Royal Family’s long-standing fondness for them.

King William, back in the 12th century, was an avid deer hunter. Henry VIII, when not concerned with affairs of state or his well-documented marital challenges, could be found hunting just about anything that ran on four legs.

James I was a passionate advocate and patron of hare coursing, attending many events in which hares were ripped apart by dogs in front of cheering crowds.

Edward VII sparked controversy in 1868 when a deer he had chased for miles collapsed from exhaustion in Paddington Station before being eviscerated by the pack.

His son, George V, was a renowned game shooter. He shot thousands of birds, rabbits and hares in Britain and led several hunting expeditions to far-flung parts of the Empire. In the course of one day’s shooting in India, he ‘bagged’ 21 tigers.

The royals were reportedly very upset when a Labour government banned fox hunting in 2004.

Meghan has managed, with great courage and dignity, to free herself from the strictures of a contrived and unnatural environment.

Animals, too, deserve to be free from man’s inhumanity.

JOHN FITZGERALD Callan, Co Kilkenny