Prince William recently received flak for taking Prince George hunting.
According to New Idea, Prince George joined his dad and other senior members of the royal family on their hunting trip at Corgarff in Scotland.
However, PETA director Mimi Bekhechi slammed the Duke of Cambridge for exposing his 7-year-old to such a cruel activity.
According to Daily Mail, it is highly likely that Prince George witnessed as his father and other relatives killed birds. However, it is also important to note that hunting is an activity that the royal family has been doing for years.
But for the director of PETA, seeing such activity could’ve desensitized and damage Prince George’s psyche.
“Very few people these days view shooting for ‘sport’ as anything other than a violent perversion that hurts and kills beautiful birds who are minding their own business. For a child to be compelled to witness such casual killing – and by a parent, he looks up to, no less – is potentially as harmful to his or her psyche as it is to the bird's very life,” she said.
“To help him [Prince George] grow into a responsible, compassionate leader, his parents must teach him respect for all living beings,” she added.
Prince William and Prince Harry also grew up hunting birds with the royal family. But the Duke of Sussex, reportedly, stopped participating in the activity after he met Meghan Markle.
The Duchess of Sussex, who is an advocate for animals, is against the killing and hunting of all types of animals. As such, the Suits alum, reportedly, banned her husband from attending the annual Boxing Day pheasant shoot at Sandringham.
Markle’s sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, continues to attend the Boxing Day shoot yearly. According to People, the Duchess of Cambridge hunts and this is an activity that she enjoys.
During a previous interview with the publication, former royal protection officer Ken Wharfe talked about the royal family’s yearly hunting activities. He said that Norfolk is the best place for hunting for the royals.
“The estate lends itself to shooting. It’s a paradise for it. Everything is in place for it and there are privacy and security. It is one of the great shooting estates with the best managers and gamekeepers,” he said.
The publication also revealed that Middleton usually pairs up with another member of the royal family while participating in a competitive hunting game. She and Prince William belong to different teams.