Why are the royals teaching Prince George to shoot?
As Prince William and Kate Middleton take Prince George grouse hunting, where 700,000 birds die each year for the cruel sport, Closer asks why we’re still killing for fun
Prince George was reportedly taken to his first grouse shoot at Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish country estate, last week to watch his father, Prince William, hunt. The five-year-old is said to have observed the centuries-old royal tradition – which involves firing at grouse with guns – with his mum, the Duchess of Cambridge. However, news of their family day out caused outrage, with many people taking to social media to express their dismay.
CRUEL
One user wrote, “Such a shame that another innocent child will grow up to believe that killing animals for fun will be the normal thing to do.” While another added, “It makes me feel sad and angry that he [George] is going to grow up without empathy for animals.”
Kensington Palace declined to comment on the issue when contacted by Closer. However, Chris Pitt, the deputy director of campaigns at League Against Cruel Sports, says that shooting is unnecessary and needs to stop. He reveals, “Grouse shooting means the death of 700,000 birds a year for fun. Cruel sports like grouse shooting, fox hunting and trophy hunting are cut from the same cloth – and they will keep going if we teach our kids they are acceptable.”
And while hundreds of thousands of grouse – a small game bird – are killed each year from shooting, many more are injured. Chris says, “Grouse move very quickly, so sometimes they are shot but not killed. As a result, they lie injured on the floor or are picked up by dogs. It’s such a horrible waste of life.”
And Chris explains that it’s not just grouse that are affected by this cruel sport. He says, “Gamekeepers try to prevent predatory animals, such as foxes or birds of prey, from eating the grouse as it affects business. So they set up wire snares across the land as traps, which get wrapped around the animals’ necks – injuring and even killing them. Tragically, the snares also sometimes accidentally trap other animals such as badgers, hares, cats and dogs. Cruel methods like trapping, shooting and poisoning are also wiping out protected birds such as hen harriers and eagles – we soon might not have any left.”
TRADITION
But royal expert Kate Nicholl, author of Harry: Life, Loss And Love, says, “It’s part of the royals’ upbringing, so it’s understandable that Prince George would be introduced to hunting so early. The idea he wouldn’t go along to one of these shoots is actually more bizarre. The royal family is steeped in tradition and this is just part of their history and heritage that they love.”
But a recent survey revealed that 69 per cent of people believe grouse shooting should be stopped. As a result, Chris says we need to speak out against the sport. He says, “We need to make our voices heard – speak to our MPS, start petitions and raise awareness on social media. Tradition is no excuse for cruelty and the laws will only change if there’s an obvious demand for it. It’s simply not acceptable to kill animals for entertainment.”
❛IT’S SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE TO KILL ANIMALS FOR ENTERTAINMENT❜