Hard to believe that Princess Diana, who may have been one of the most beloved royals of all time, has been gone from us for almost a quarter of a century. As her sons grow, though, they remind us more and more of her every single day. There’s no doubt that she loved both boys to bits, and would be pleased and proud that they have grown into such fine young(ish) men, even if, as Harry told Oprah, they’re going down “different paths.”
Even the most devoted mom, however, might have a few things she’d like to change about her kids. Diana, who was famously opposed to all forms of cruelty, violence, and crusaded against landmines, was also not a fan of killing animals for sport. According to royal correspondent Robert Jobson, author of the Kate Middleton biography, “William’s Princess,” Diana “disapproved violently of the ‘manly’ pursuits that Charles encouraged his sons to enjoy,” (via Express). Chief among those “man” hobbies was hunting, a sport Prince William continues to enjoy to this day.
Despite Princess Diana's opinions, hunting is still a royal family tradition
While Diana Spencer, according to royal correspondent Robert Jobson, “tried to turn [the princes’] heads with the excitement of amusement parks and thrill rides,” their dad Prince Charles wanted to pass his own love of outdoor activities on to his sons. Dedicated environmentalist though he is, Charles still enjoys shooting animals, and not just with a camera. This is evidently a bit of a family tradition in the Windsor household, as Express reported that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip used to hunt tigers, rhinos, and buffalo and the royals hold annual Boxing Day pheasant shoots at Balmoral Castle.
Prince William took to the shooting sports like a duck takes to orange sauce, bagging his first bunny at age 11. Prince Harry was also a hunter, participating in a shoot at Sandringham as recently as 2018. He’s reportedly given up the sport now, which is just as well since Beverly Hills isn’t known as prime hunting territory for anything besides autographs. William, however, is still an avid hunter and has introduced young Prince George to the sport, as well, as noted by Express.
So would Diana have been disappointed in her son and concerned for her grandson had she lived to see the day? Jobson doesn’t think so. As he wrote in “William’s Princess,” the Princess of Wales “resigned herself to the fact that her eldest son was thrilled by the chase,” and she’d no doubt have accepted it if the next-gen royals share their father’s fondness for this pastime as well.
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