Prince Harry defends ‘utterly freaky’ royal tradition

The Duke of Sussex left no stone unturned when he detailed past and present parts of his life in his memoir, Spare, and in it he defended an annual royal tradition.

When recounting his summers spent at Balmoral he looked back fondly, and made a point about defending the “stories” about the iconic castle. He explained that a former prime minister called the place, “surreal” and “utterly freaky,” and that UK politician was, in fact, Tony Blair, who visited multiple times during his time in office.

Prince Harry shared his personal thoughts on the grand Scottish estate, writing: “To me Balmoral was always simply Paradise. A cross between Disney World and some sacred Druid grove.”

© Tim Graham, Getty

He continued: I was always too busy fishing, shooting, running up and down ‘the hill’ to notice anything off about the feng shui of the old castle. What I’m trying to say is, I was happy there.” 

Delving into what a normal royal summer’s day would look like, the Duke explained: “My family lived to be outdoors, especially Granny, who got cross if she didn’t breathe at least an hour of fresh air each day. What we did outdoors, however, what we said, wore, ate, I can’t conjure.”

© Getty

A gruesome tradition

In another part of Spare, Harry recalled a bizarre tradition called a ‘blooding’ where his face was smeared with blood from a deer. The Prince was 15 when he stalked and killed his first deer on the Scottish estate and he described the horrific initiation ceremony where a man named Sandy pushed his head inside the animal’s carcass.

“I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper,” Harry wrote. “I was shocked by his insane strength. And by the infernal smell. My breakfast jumped up from my stomach.”

© Alamy Stock Photo

“My breakfast jumped up from my stomach”

In September 2023, it was confirmed that the royals can no longer go hunting, deer stalking or fishing at the five-century-old Abergeldie Estate, located near Balmoral, bringing an end to more than 170 years of tradition.

And in an interview with The Telegraph in 2023, Harry clarified his thoughts on it: “It’s interesting because so many of those moments have made me the man I am today. Would I encourage Archie to stick his head inside a carcass? Probably not.” 

© Instagram / @meghan

Outdoor pursuits

 Although hunting may be off the agenda, it is clear to see that Harry’s active and outdoorsy lifestyle has been passed onto his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The family have a vast estate at their $29 million mansion, with plenty of room to roam and play. We’ve also seen pictures of them boating and surfing together. 

A few days ago, ahead of Meghan’s 44th birthday, the Sussexes were spotted down at a local beach, close to their home, watching Archie on his surf lesson. “Harry and Meghan were part of a group of parents, they were very down to earth,” a source tells HELLO! “They were so proud of Archie. It was cute to watch – a special family time.”