The way that Princess Kate starts her morning on Boxing Day is very different to her husband. For the royals, the day after Christmas begins with the family pulling on their wellies for a day of shooting pheasants and grouse on the Sandringham Estate.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady, who worked at Sandringham for many Christmases, said: “It was an early, hearty breakfast buffet for the men – with sausage, eggs, bacon and devilled kidneys.
“The royal women would usually have a continental-style tray in their bedrooms instead, because they were still getting ready for the day.
“Then the men would set off for the shoot and the women would join them later, beating for pheasants in the bushes.”
Former royal bodyguard Ken Wharfe says the flat, open landscape of Norfolk provided the perfect environment for shooting.
“It’s a paradise for it,” he says. “Everything is in place and there is privacy and security. It is one of the great shooting estates with the best managers and gamekeepers.”
The Princess of Wales has been photographed on shooting expeditions for years and has been called a “keen markswoman” who is a “really good shot”.
But the tradition is unpopular with animal rights activists. The estate got stricter privacy rules after a picture of the late Queen wringing a pheasant’s neck in 2001 made international headlines.
Many have wondered if the King, a keen environmentalist, will bring an end to the traditional shoot. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe said: “The days of the royals blasting birds out of the sky on Boxing Day for the thrill of it may be numbered.
“The family are more on-message these days, and I think the King will know the public are watching closely. For the time being, there will still be shoots, though not on the scale of Prince Philip shooting thousands of birds in a season.”
