Animal Protector or Animal Killer ?

When it comes to animals Prince Philip is a paradox. He has always enjoyed blood sports since he was a young man. He first joined King George VI  for  shoots  in 1946 and in a single day they killed 188 rabbits, 30 grouse and 5 hares between them.

Prince Philip continued to enjoy killing many birds and deer on the Sandringham and Balmoral estates. He once  killed a stag with huge twelve-point antlers and proudly mounted its head on the walls of Balmoral Castle. The Queen  has also enjoyed deerstalking in the past . Her personal record was killing 12 stags from three stalks and she also shot one of the best five deer taken by women in Scotland.

Prince Philip has also practised the killing of larger Game. In 1960 he killed his last tiger and the following year he and the Queen were photographed with the tiger before it was made into a rug.

The love of blood sports has continued in the Royal Family with all of Prince Philip's children learning to shoot from an early age. His grandchildren have also shown their interest in killing animals. Prince William has caused much debate with his taste for foxhunting and in 1990 Zara Phillips was seen to kill off a wounded bird by stamping on it with the heel of her shoe.

So, wasn't it strange that in 1961 Prince Philip helped to establish the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and became British President of  WWF? - Not according to Prince Philip who in 1962 stated :

' The basic and most urgent purpose of this fund is to help those species of animals which face extinction. It is not setting out to protect all animals from everything. It has no intention of campaigning against mousetraps or fly-paper '

So there you have it. If  you're on the verge of extinction you are safe from the shotgun-barrels of Prince Philip -  otherwise BEWARE!