Kate Middleton shooting at Balmoral
The supposed meeting with the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral may well have taken place in London earlier, probably before they “came out” (again) as a couple two weeks ago.
However, for anyone who still believes that Kate Middleton is not now an informal part of the Royal Family, these shots of her practising shooting techniques under the supervision of Prince Charles should confirm it.
Princes have always been associated with the armed services, so shooting and hunting have been part of their military training and keeping their hand in. City folk sometimes forget that aspect of hunting.
Kate is a very sporty girl, as we saw during her training for the cross-channel dragon boat race. It’s not surprising then that she has thrown herself into the basic Balmoral routines of stalking, shooting and yomping across the hills in all weathers.
Prince William is nowhere to be seen here. It looks like she’s getting a few lessons from her future father-in-law and a ghillie of the estate.
One thing’s for sure, Kate will be no plaster Royal.
By Gigi on October 14th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Gigi, given your description, Balmoral sounds like a test that Chelsy may not be willing or able to pass! Someone somewhere mentioned that Harry & Chelsy are in Parish for the Rugby.
By Evelyn on October 14th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Gigi, Why are you so set on William marrying someone at such a young age?…someone he broke up with because he wasn’t sure, apparently. Kate appears to be climbing the social ladder, that’s for sure. To me, anyone who would be killing animals just to try to fit in with the Royals is showing her true motives. And if she is doing it out of the “love” of hunting, that is unbelievable to me. I was absolutely astonished at those pics of her. I’ve never seen a woman hunt! Rediculous!
By KM on October 14th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Perhaps Kate is learning to shoot, so she can keep her future husband in line!
By Arthur on October 14th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
John, Charles isn’t in any of the pictures you posted. Those were the 2 gillies. Charles is in the shots wearing tweeds not the camouflage.
By P on October 14th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Well the Royal family loves a good hunt and brag about their points. Kate seems to really enjoy the country life and I don’t blame her. The city is fine for shopping and hanging out with your friends but at the end of the day, you need to be at a place where you can think clearly. Her future father in law is really looking after her and I just know by Januray we will hear some kind of announcement. But in the mean time I think we will see Kate out more with William and it’s very important that the media give them some space.
By Claudius on October 14th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
I believe Kate already knows how to shoot, she was a member of some shooting club. No, the significance of this article, is that –
1) It contains pictures released by the Royal Family. (Those don’t look like paparazzi shots)
2)It shows Kate with Prince Charles at Balmoral.
This looks like another PR step to get the public prepared for “Princess Kate.” 1st the pictures of Will & Kate leaving the nightclub together and 2nd pictures of her and Charles doing something royal.
I interpret this to mean that Kate has been accepted as potential future bride. Also, look at how fast the “sightings” are coming now.
By Alicia on October 14th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Hello, to all – sorry, if this question sounds a bit naive or wishful, but would it be correct to assume that Prince Charles would only be taking the time to show Miss Middleton how to shoot/stalk deer if he believed that her presence at Balmoral will be recurring for such royal family events? Thanks.
By Lisa on October 14th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
That is very true, Kate really seem to fit in well with the Royal family and this is a very clear signal that things will become more offical. Well theres one thing people have to understand, hunting is a country thing. People who use to living in the city and have no connection with the country wouldn’t understand that. In the deep south of Mississippi, people hunt deer all the time and sometime family members whould often bring several bags of deer meat to your house so you can have meet in your freezer. It’s a very natural thing. People have to eat and often deer is in peoples diet. In their case, it’s a royal tradition that Charles, William like. I do plan to move to England and buy or build myself a country estate. I will of course try to learn the art of hunting.
By Claudius on October 14th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Claudius, here in Texas there are two kinds of people: those who hunt and those who do not. My family does not hunt, but many of our friends and acquaintances do. Texas cookbooks, fairs and church suppers feature many dishes made with venison and a rite of passage for many boys born and raised in Texas is going to the deer lease with their fathers, uncles and grandfathers, learning to shoot and care for guns. This is not just a southern tradition, there is hunting in every section of America where there is land and game to support the sport! These traditions are passed down in families from the early pioneer days in the American colonies and from the ancestral homes in Europe, Africa, South America or Asia. If Kate has an interest, and it appears that she has, I applaud her for participating in the activities at Balmoral that mean so much to Prince William. It bodes well for their future together!
By Gigi on October 14th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Well yes I know that many people across America hunts, I just want people to know that it is a tradition. And Kate is a country girl. I’m just saying this because people are getting all upset because she participated in such a sport. It’s just natural.
By Claudius on October 14th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Claudius and Gigi, I realize deer hunting is a popular sport, especially in my neck of the woods; however, Kate holding a rifle is not the first picture I anticipated seeing from Balmoral. Many people, especially in England, find blood sport offensive. These pictures are insensitive and I don’t believe they will endear Kate to the British public. I’m certain the Palace would never allow Kate to be photographed wearing a full length fur coat!
In my humble opinion, there’s a more subtle message here, i.e. Kate is not Diana. If that’s the case, we don’t need to see pictures of Kate holding a rifle to know that!
On a lighter note, Gigi, what would one serve for tea, after a stag hunt? I hope it’s not porfitteroles, filled with venison mousse!
By Arthur on October 15th, 2007 at 12:21 am
My dear Arthur, I do not hunt, nor does anyone in my family. I do not approve of hunting nor any blood sport, unless people need to hunt game in order to eat. However, those are my sensibilities, and I am aware that hunting is a very old tradition that is held dear in many families. When I first came to Texas, I was very offended by the rifles hanging over fireplaces, the wooden and glass gun cabinets, the trophy animals and fish displayed on walls. Nevertheless, in the fullness of time I came to appreciate that blood sport does not make a participant a bad person. We are not all alike, we must understand. I am a member of the generation that viewed the Walt Disney Classic “Bambi” when a very small child, and I relate deeply to all animals except snakes and give them human feelings. In my neighborhood, overlooking the canyon, we are conservationists and we put water out for the deer and cultivate succulents, keeping them watered to provide fodder for the deer in the dry season. However I do honor the memory of my dear ancestors, some of whom who came from Europe in the 1760s and hacked out a home in the wilderness, providing meat for themselves by hunting the wild game. It would be unjust of me to assail others for doing as my ancestors once did. Hunting wild game is not illegal. Until it is, those who wish to may hunt and not transgress. The bleating crowd will always find something to criticize, as we well know.
By Gigi on October 15th, 2007 at 12:54 am
Hmmm…a Royal Anecdotes Gala Hunt Tea? Hmmm…not profiteroles stuffed with venison mousse, that is for sure. Arthur, let me get back to you on that one!
Whatever I serve, the stirrup cup must hold whiskey. 
By Gigi on October 15th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Up here in Minnesota, we appreciate hunters who thin out the deer, which are corn-fed (from our corn fields) and too numerous. The deer multiply with abandon, just like the rabbits. On one 5-mile drive a few weeks back, I saw 5 deer! (No one in my immediate family hunts.)
By Evelyn on October 15th, 2007 at 1:58 am
Claudius – are you from the deep south of MS? Because I am moving there from the deep south of AL!!
Oh, and I just want to say, “Whee! I can’t wait for the wedding!!!!!” Now I have to get back to packing.
By SadieBoo on October 15th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Gigi, you’re absolutely right. The die seems well and truly cast for them.
I’d rather see them shooting in the Highlands than staggering out of Boujis any day.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Evelyn, Harry and Chelsy watched England beat favourites France in Paris to get into the final of the World Cup next week. I’ve no doubt they’ll be back for that.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 8:40 am
I think the important thing about these photographs is the fact that Kate has been photographed with Charles getting advice on shooting. It seems to say a lot about Kate’s acceptance within the RF, she may or may not have had the rumoured meeting with the Queen and Prince Phillip but she clearly has the Prince of Wales’s ‘seal of approval’. I think we will be seeing more public photos with K, W and the RF in the next few months, probably at the Westminster Abbey wedding anniversary service of the Queen and Prince Phillip next month. I think she should get PP’s approval because despite being the monrch Queen Elizabeth regards Prince Philip as the head of her family. I don’t see an engagement announcement this year though.
As far as the hunting side of things, Kate has clearly entered into the country lifestyle and though I would have preferred a public photo away from the Balmorral estate this does me fine.
Apart from large estates the only hunting done in my neck of the woods (Leicestershire the fox hunting county) is not for meat but to keep the fox population down. The hunting with dogs is regarded by large numbers in the UK as barbaric whereas a rifle gives a clener kill.
I do enjoy a nice joint of venison though, wether or not washed down with a cuo of John’s tea!
ps I cannot master a smiley!!!!!!!!!!
By Royalist on October 15th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Forgot to mention : the other finalists are South Africa, so Harry and Chelsy will be cheering for different sides. Let’s hope their relationship can stand up to that.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Gigi, may I recommend a Collin Street Bakery De Luxe cake. They are, I believe baked in Texas so are certainly very big.
We’re thinking of buying one of their Christmas cakes this year. They will ship them anywhere in the world it seems.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Royalist, you can make a smiley with a colon “:”, followed by a close bracket “)”. To make it wink, use a semi-colon “;” instead of the colon. Use the open bracket “(” to make it look glum. An eight “8″ puts sunglasses on him — or is it a her?
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Yes, fox hunting has been banned by Tony Blair, but will be reintroduced when David Cameron gets in. Most hunts continue with a lesser version, waiting it out until Cameron rescues them.
Royalist, I believe the Beauvoir Hunt is still functioning in your neck of the woods. I once lived in Melton Mowbray so know the countryside there very well.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 9:00 am
P, Charles is out of shot in one the photos and is wearing non-tweed clothing, but he’s there supervising the lessons.
The pictures were taken by paparazzi who were surprised they did this so close to the road. That signifies they didn’t mind the pictures being taken.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 9:08 am
John, I have lived in Texas for 23 years and have never heard of Collin Street Bakery Deluxe cakes! They are made in Corsicana, which is a town south of Dallas and Fort Worth, and I am surprised that I never heard of them. Their specialty are pecan cakes and pecan pies, not surprising since pecans are a major cash crop here in Texas. I do not like fruit cakes (Christmas cakes) myself and have not had one at Christmas since the last year my Father was alive, but I hope that you like the one you order from Collin Street Bakery!
By Gigi on October 15th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
An alternative is a glorious Melton Mowbray Hunt Cake from Royalist’s neck of the woods. Very dark, quite scrumptious. Very traditional.
By John on October 15th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Sadie, Im from southern MS! I love the royals too.
By Pat on October 15th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I love a chocolate Yule Log cake, decorated with icing holly leaves and berries and filled with chocolate cream. One of my most happy memories of my childhood was being at the home of my Great Aunt who was Frenceh National and watching this Yule Log cake being made. Delicious and quite festive, too. John is certainly getting his Christmas menu set in a timely fashion! Well done, John! Here I have purchased a few Christmas gifts and have also purchased my Christmas cards.
By Gigi on October 15th, 2007 at 5:30 pm