The British Royal family is very different these days from the all-powerful rulers of yore, who sliced and diced their enemies on the battlefield like they were in Westeros. In the modern world, the Royals like to paint themselves as philanthropic do-gooders, serving as patrons and supporters of numerous charitable and positive causes. Prince Harry, for instance, has recently become passionate about child welfare and mental health.
As for Prince William, he seems to be following in his father King Charles’s footsteps in promoting environmentalism. A recorded message from the heir to the throne played at a Campaign for Nature event at the General Assembly of the United Nations recently, in which William pleaded with the world’s leaders to “make peace with nature.” The prince stressed, “If we are to keep this planet liveable for our children and grandchildren, we must act urgently… We can and must change our relationship with the natural world.”
An honorable sentiment that you’d think would be hard to criticize, right? Well, while William’s words are certainly honorable, some activists are accusing the prince and his family of not following his own advice, blasting him for a past filled with “bloodlust” that doesn’t exactly sound like the actions of someone who’s at one with the natural world.
“Hypocrite” Prince William and “keen markswoman” Kate Middleton torn apart by activists after “make peace with nature” speech
Protect The Wild, a British non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunting in the U.K., has taken umbrage against William for his U.N. speech. In a scathing response, Protect The Wild branded the prince a “hypocrite” considering his and the Royal family’s long history of hunting and fulfilling their “bloodlust.”
“Let’s not forget that as he appeals to us to change our relationship with the natural world, the Royal Family fulfils its bloodlust by targeting mammals and birds at home and abroad,” their ruthless response reads. “The Windsors are infamous for their ‘traditional’ Boxing Day shooting spree at Sandringham – an estate owned personally by King Charles and site of numerous incidents of wildlife crime, including the murder of birds of prey.”
Rather damningly for William, Protect the Wild notes how King Charles introduced his sons to shooting and hunting while they were kids, which led to their mother, Princess Diana, dubbing them with a witty yet alarming nickname — the “Killer Wales.”
“As for William, Charles introduced the prince and his brother Harry to shooting at a very young age, with the boys being dubbed the “Killer Wales” by their mother Diana,” the response continues. “In turn, William and Kate introduced their son George to grouse shooting when he was just seven.”
Yes, it’s not just William who’s coming under fire, either. Kate Middleton is said to have a keen interest in hunting, too. In addition to allegedly arming her son when he was just seven, Princess Catherine is claimed to be known as something of a crack shot herself.
“Kate has been dubbed ‘a keen markswoman’ according to the Daily Mail, and has been photographed on a number of different shoots over the years. She has also been captured on camera collecting dead pheasants and deer stalking,” Protect the Wild writes.
In addition to his hunting habit, William is also blasted for his housing development schemes, which are supposed to be dedicated to constructing sustainable housing but have been criticized for disturbing local wildlife in certain areas of the U.K. What’s more, the prince has so far ignored a grassroots campaign to get him to rewild his lands in Dartmoor.
“William could do so much for biodiversity and for the environment but has so far failed to do so,” Protect the Wild concludes. “The sentiment in his speech is laudable, but he has some audacity in expecting world leaders (as well as the public) to take his call for action seriously. A great deal will have to change for his words and small-scale actions not be seen as cynical or simply PR spin.”
This isn’t the first time William has ruffled feathers for preaching one thing but doing another. In 2021, he encouraged the people of Britain to make a drastic “reset” to their way of life in order to counteract climate change, but many found the message hollow given the prince’s own extravagant lifestyle. “So it’s OK for them to drive around in Range Rovers, Rolls Royces, and take private flights?” went one viral reaction at the time.
As genuine as William’s efforts to fight for the environment may truly be, it seems no one’s going to really take him seriously until we receive the official announcement that he and Kate have moved their family out of the palace and into a Royal yurt.
Published: Oct 3, 2024 12:23 pm