Meghan Markle is reportedly relieved and pleased about a recent turn of events at Balmoral, the summer home of Queen Elizabeth. An annual activity participated by the royals will not be happening this year, and it is perhaps the one thing that the Duchess of Sussex hates to be part of.
According to The Sun, Balmoral has officially canceled grouse hunting this year because the population of the birds has decreased. And while it's a bummer for many of the royals, Duchess Meghan is said to be happy that no more needless shooting of animals will take place.
Usually, this popular hunting sport kicks off its season every Aug. 12. However, the weather conditions last year and this summer have not been ideal for breeding. According to the Daily Mail, sources from the estate confirmed that the decline in the birds' numbers is making hunting impossible this year.
But, this is great news for Duchess Meghan, a known animal lover, and rumored vegan. In the past, sources said that she would "feign a headache" so that she won't have to participate in the hunting. However, her husband Prince Harry has been taught to shoot as a sport at a young age. The Cambridge royals, Prince William and Duchess Kate, are also eager hunters.
While hunting is a big deal in this region, royal experts say that the Queen can share this passion with Duchess Kate more than Duchess Meghan.
"Her Majesty shot her last stag in 1983 near to the Spittal of Glenmuick, in a spot that is now called The Queen's Corry," the source said. "But she still attends shoots and drove Kate to a grouse shoot when the couple visited a couple of years ago."
Duchess Meghan will be visiting Balmoral for the first time this year. The Queen has invited the couple and their baby Archie Harrison to spend a few summer days at the estate.
Meanwhile, royal watchers have compared Duchess Meghan to Princess Diana, Prince Harry's mother, who hated staying at the Scotland estate because she would rather vacation in the city. In the book "The Duchess: The Untold Story," author Penny Junor said that the summer trips highlighted how much different Princess Diana was to her husband's family.
"She hated the countryside, hated his family's passion for horses and dogs, hated the rain that poured down remorselessly; and she felt that her husband was avoiding intimate contact," Junor wrote.
Since the Queen is said to be fond of Duchess Meghan and they have a special bond, the summer holidays might not turn out badly for the Sussex royal.
