Meghan or Not, This Royal Tradition Went On

As rumors swirled about Prince Harry not participating in traditional Boxing Day activities due to Meghan Markle's staunch love of animals, The Daily Mail reports that the annual post-Christmas hunt went on just as planned. The royals just waited until Meghan left Sandringham to take to the woods.

After Meghan had lunch with the entire royal family at Wood Farm, which many saw as a sort of go-ahead for Harry to be a part of the festivities, the royals headed to Norfolk estate to hunt pheasants, partridges, and ducks. It's a tradition that goes back hundreds of years and many thought that Harry would forego the activities to support his wife's animal-rights activism, but Kate Middleton and Co. went on with the hunt, just as planned. The Daily Mail added that Kate and Meghan had tea with the queen before Kate headed out to the hunt.

"She frequently goes out shooting when she is staying at Anmer Hall and has become a really good shot," a source told the Daily Mail. "She is very much into the hunting, shooting, and fishing country lifestyle."

The source added that there's no bad blood between Meghan and the other family members because of the hunt. She gets that it's just their thing and many fans appreciated the fact that Kate waited for Meghan to leave the estate before she partook. It's the first time that Kate has joined the hunting group in recent years, but she's been spotted shooting on the estate in the past and has even been part of large game hunts with her family in Balmoral. Royal watchers are also expecting this year to be the first time that Kate introduces her kids to the shoot, though they'll probably be observing from afar with the queen, who takes it all in from her Range Rover.

"Meghan has realized that the royals have been doing this for centuries and aren't going to change their ways," the source added. "She is not a vegan or even a vegetarian, but she doesn't like unnecessary cruelty to animals. Harry has explained to her that the numbers of birds need to be kept down on the estate and that this is all part of the management. She has accepted this but doesn't like watching it. She enjoyed the lunch and got on well with Kate, but I'm not sure how she would feel about Kate taking part."