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Kate Middleton is making a long overdue change in royal tradition.
Her husband, her brother-in-law, and her father-in-law all participated in “blooding” in their youth.
This barbaric practice will not, she has reportedly insisted, pass on to her own royal children.
Updates can be a very good thing. Especially for ancient, crumbling institutions.
No ‘blooding’ for Kate Middleton or her children, thank you very much
The United Kingdom is home to many traditions. Some are very silly — like Trooping The Colour, not installing window screens, and eating beans on toast.
Others, however, are nothing short of barbaric rites that look wouldn’t look out of place in a horror film.
One of those is called “blooding.” This bizarre royal ritual calls upon the royal family to hunt foxes and deer and to smear the fresh blood from their kill upon their faces. Gross!
According to an excerpt from royal author Tom Quinn’s Yes Ma’am – The Secret Life of Royal Servants that appears in The Daily Mail, Kate Middleton isn’t having it.
Prince George is 11 years old. Princess Charlotte is 9 years old. Prince Louis is 6 years old.
As far as the Princess of Wales is concerned, none of her children are going to be smearing their faces with the blood of animal corpses.
Kate Middleton brings a more ‘modern’ approach to the royal family
“Charles’ daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has put her foot down and insisted there will be no blooding for her children,” Quinn reportedly wrote in his book.
According to the author: “The king himself had gone through the rite as a child, as did his two sons, Princes William and Harry.”
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton is adamant that her own children not participate in this gruesome “ancient ritual.”
Another apparent expert on the British Royal family, Hilary Fordwich, echoes the sentiment that Kate Middleton brings a breath of fresh air to some stagnant royal habits.
“Princess Catherine, coming from a middle-class family, wasn’t brought up with the same royal traditions,” Fordwich noted.
Fordwich added: “To date, she is seen by both Prince William and King Charles III as an excellent mother with great instincts.”
Updates to the royal family are good and healthy, right?
Traditions that are unyielding to change end up dooming themselves. While the existence of royalty is a comical anachronism that is wildly out of place in 2025, the updates are still a good idea.
Of course, we cannot help but recall nearly a decade ago, when British tabloids swiped at Meghan Markle over Harry reportedly not participating in fox hunts. In that case, these scathing hit pieces presented her opposition to senseless barbarity as being somehow bad.
Now that Kate Middleton is reportedly doing it, everyone’s on board. Is it any wonder why Harry and Meghan relocated?
Kate Middleton Pushing for Major Change to ‘Brutal’ Royal Tradition: Report was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.