Prince Harry will stop hunting because Meghan doesn't like it, says wildlife expert

WINDSOR, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends Dr. Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Global Leadership Meeting at Windsor Castle on July 23, 2019 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Dr Jane Goodall said the duke might give up hunting. (Getty Images)

Prince Harry will probably stop hunting and shooting because his wife Meghan doesn’t like it, according to wildlife expert Jane Goodall.

Dr Goodall, 86, said the prince and his brother William were champions of the natural world, but indicated the Duchess of Sussex’s views could have more impact on Harry as they settle into life in Los Angeles.

Talking about the royals’ work in supporting the natural world, Dr Goodall said: “Yes, except they hunt and shoot. But I think Harry will stop because Meghan doesn’t like hunting, so I suspect that is over for him.”

The Royal Family takes part in shooting at various times of year, including a Boxing Day hunt.

There have been reports of Harry missing out on these occasions since meeting and marrying Meghan, often tied to her disapproval of blood sports.

But a palace source told the Daily Mail in 2018 that it was completely untrue to say the duchess had banned Harry from the sport.

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Harry has been criticised in the past for hunting, particularly when a photo from 2004 emerged showing the prince with a water buffalo he had shot on a trip.

The Duke of Cambridge has also been criticised for his hunting hobby, and told ITV in 2016 that trophy hunting was sometimes justified.

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WINDSOR, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Dr Jane Goodall hug as he attends Dr. Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Global Leadership Meeting at Windsor Castle on July 23, 2019 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Dr Jane Goodall hug as he attends Dr Goodall's Roots & Shoots Global Leadership Meeting. (Getty Images)

In the interview, Dr Goodall also spoke about Harry’s new life in LA, suggesting it was taking some getting used to.

She told Radio Times: “I don’t know how his career is going to map out, but yes, I’ve been in touch, though I think he’s finding life a bit challenging just now.”

Harry and Meghan are both big fans of conservationist Dr Goodall, and the prince interviewed her for the September issue of Vogue, which was guest edited by the duchess.

The couple moved to California from Canada in March, just as the border between the two countries was closing to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

A general view of the guard cabin at the entrance of the gated neighborhood where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are looking to establish their residence, Serra Retreat in Malibu, California on April 01, 2020. - The pair, who formally stepped down as senior members of the British royal family this week, have reportedly already relocated to sunny California. They are currently rumored to be hunkering down at a compound in Malibu, the exclusive beach community outside Los Angeles long favored by A-listers and movie moguls. (Photo by JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX / AFP) (Photo by JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP via Getty Images)
Meghan and Harry are thought to be looking to live in a gated neighbourhood in Malibu. (Getty Images)

They are reportedly hunting for a house in Malibu, the same area which Diana had wanted to move to when she was dating Dodi Fayed.

Harry and Meghan will launch a non-profit organisation called Archewell “when the time is right”, having filed paperwork in the USA for the name.

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It comes from the Greek word “arche” which means source of action, and was the inspiration for their son’s name too.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 25: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Harry and Meghan were inspired by the same word for their son's name and their organisation. (Getty Images)

They stepped back from royal duties on 31 March but have had to delay their next steps amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The couple moved to California as it was in the midst of lockdown with millions of people ordered to stay at home.

Dr Goodall’s latest documentary The Hope, on National Geographic and National Geographic Wild, examines her 60-year legacy. The full interview is in the Radio Times.

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