Prince Harry recalls disturbing moment from ‘barbaric’ royal tradition Prince George could be forced to take part in

Prince Harry shared a disturbing memory in his 2023 memoir Spare, detailing his participation in a royal hunting ritual known as “blooding.” This centuries-old tradition involves smearing the hunter’s face with the blood of the first animal they kill.

At around 15, Harry took part in the ritual after killing a stag at Balmoral. He recounted how his guide, Sandy, pushed his head into the animal’s carcass, causing him to gag from the overwhelming smell and warmth. Harry described the moment as terrifying and surreal, saying it felt like facing death.

Despite the traumatic experience, Harry admitted feeling a strange pride afterward. He also shared that his first ‘blooding’ was earlier, when his nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke gently smeared rabbit blood on his face.

The royal family has long participated in hunting traditions, though the practice has drawn criticism from animal rights advocates in recent years. The “blooding” ritual in particular has become increasingly controversial.

Reports have surfaced suggesting Prince George might soon experience this tradition himself, although his mother, the Princess of Wales, is reportedly firmly against it.

In Yes Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants, author Tom Quinn wrote that Catherine has “put her foot down” and does not want her children—George, Charlotte, or Louis—to take part in the ritual.

However, new rumors suggest that George, the eldest of the three, might still undergo the tradition as early as this summer. Buckingham Palace has not commented on the reports.