The royal commentator suggested that the young prince could face a centuries-old “ritual” (Image: Daniel Leal/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Prince George will reportedly join his father, Prince William, on the Balmoral estate this summer, where a “gruesome” tradition could take place, according to the royal author

rince George could be “initiated” into a “gruesome” royal tradition on a visit to the Balmoral estate this month, a royal author has suggested.

Duncan Larcombe, the author of ‘Prince Harry: The Inside Story’, revealed to Woman magazine that Prince William and Princess Kate’s oldest son may join the future king for a controversial pastime long practised by the Royal Family.

George, 11, reportedly could take part in a stag hunt with his father, but the royal commentator hinted that the young prince may also face a centuries-old “ritual” that’s linked to the tradition.

Mr Larcombe wrote: “The Palace has refused to comment on claims that Prince George will be initiated into one of the slightly more gruesome royal traditions this summer.

“It was reported that he will join his father on a stag-hunting shoot while they visit the Balmoral estate this month. Traditionally, the blood of a hunter’s first kill is spread on their face, a ritual that goes back centuries.”

Prince George will reportedly take part in a stag hunt with his father ( Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

He continued: “Years ago, Kate joined the royals on a shoot, but it’s unclear whether George will be expected to follow suit.”

It wouldn’t be the first time that this unusual practice has been associated with the Royal Family. In Prince Harry’s memoir, ‘Spare’, he wrote about a time when his head was pushed inside a deer carcass, reports the Express.

It occurred after the Duke of Sussex had shot the deer on the Balmoral estate, but he also explained that he killed a rabbit and his nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, “smeared” a “dollop” of its blood “tenderly across his forehand, down his cheeks and nose”.

The Royals Family has a long history of hunting, with the late Queen Elizabeth, who enjoyed deer stalking, joining Prince Philip on tiger hunts in India during the 1960s.

William and Kate have reportedly taken George shooting since 2018 ( Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)In addition, a 2004 photo emerged of Harry posing with a gun next to a dead water buffalo, and it was also reported that William and Harry hunted wild boars and stags in Spain in 2014.

The Mail on Sunday reported in 2002 that King Charles had tried to convince Tony Blair not to ban fox hunting, saying it is “natural – in that it relies entirely on man’s ancient and, indeed, romantic relationship with dogs and horses.”

The family also participates in a pheasant shoot at Sandringham over the Christmas period and a grouse shooting at Corgarff, with reports that William and Kate have taken George shooting since 2018.