Prince George attends his first grouse hunt over the weekend -- and people are not happy

Updated

Every summer, the British royal family retreats to the queen's castle in Balmoral, Scotland for a few weeks of R & R, allowing Buckingham Palace to open up for tourists.

Also part of the Windsor family'd Scottish tradition? Lunches, barbecues and a good amount of hunting. It's been said that Prince George, 5, was able to take part in the grouse hunt for the first time, accompanying mom Duchess Kate during the expedition.

Emily Andrews, royal correspondent for The Sun, tweeted about George's milestone and the ensuing "family fun." She confirmed that Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Edward and his family, alongside Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall all joined the Cambridges for lunch following the hunt.

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Hunting has long been a tradition for the royal family, with reports alleging that it was George V who really turned the bloodsport into more of a "mainstream" activity for the crown. Prince Harry was even deemed "The Boar Terminator" for his expertise, but reportedly gave up the sport for his then-fiancé Meghan Markle, a known animal lover.

Despite the longstanding history of the royals love for hunting, Prince George's taking part in the sport did not sit well with some. Many took to Twitter to slam the royals for allowing the 5-year-old to participate.

"Didn’t William visit a sanctuary in India and vowed to continue his crusade to protect Wild. You can’t have it both ways my dear William," wrote one critic. Said another, "It may be ‘tradition’ but I really wish they would get called out more for these shootings. It’s horrible and has no place today."

The family also made headlines in June after photos emerged of Prince George playing with a toy gun. Critics deemed Duchess Kate "tone deaf" by some critics, especially given the many mass shootings that have recently shaken the world.

Explained royal expert Kelly Lynch, the royals" have learned to respect firearms as deadly weapons, and hopefully teach their children about gun safety from a young age.”

Related: Best photos of the family

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