The one issue I have with this is that hunting in Europe for the most part is reserved for the wealthy and well connected. The average European can’t get the proper permits to own a hunting rifle or shotgun. And if they could manage to navigate their way through the permit process they likely would be unable to afford the cost of a hunting trip. That being said Prince William shouldn’t be getting flack for participating in a legal activity.
Maybe not Prince William, but the going-a-bit-barmy Prince Charles is way out there in animal rights la-la land to be blasting away at Bambi’s father.
Besides, a hunting rifle is a “medium range sniper weapon” and a shotgun is a “close range riot control device” (five minutes with a hacksaw) and don’t even ask the nice folks at the U.N. what they think about handguns in private hands.
It’s even bloody likely that the Princes will use the Duke of Westminster’s own guns; in the past Royals have been arrested for violating British gun laws inside the U.K.
In fact, those two privileged blokes have less personal freedom than Joe Average U.S. Citizen & his gun safe.
Not true. I am a member of a rifle club, and all you need to own a rifle is a gun safe, two references to your good character and have been a member of a relevant rifle club for at least 6 months. Much more restrictive than the US granted, but hardly to the point were you need wealth and political connections to own a gun or hunt.