Brian May previously hit out at Royal brothers Prince Harry and Prince William. The former Queen guitarist, who is celebrating his 77th birthday today (July 19), once said that he felt “sickened” by some of their behaviour and compared them to 19th century supporters of slavery.
The criticism came following reports of both of the Princes going on hunting trips, just weeks before pledging to save Africa’s critically endangered wildlife. The royal family members were said to have returned from a trip back in 2014, after reportedly shooting wild boar and stags, on the estate of William’s godfather, the Duke of Westminster in Cordoba, Spain.
Following the controversial trip, photos of Harry also emerged showing him standing over the body of a water buffalo. In the image, he could be seen smiling while brandishing a gun.
At the time, adding his own fuel to the fire, rockstar-turned-activist Brian said: “It made me feel sick. This is right at the heart of the problem we are looking at in this government.
“It’s the whole attitude of the privileged classes – you can rescue rhinos and elephants in Africa but kill at will anything you want if you’re rich.”
He added: “It’s not logical, justifiable or humane and is the same as people in the 19th century trying to justify slavery.”
Despite their actions, both Princes are outspoken supporters of international efforts to stop illegal poaching. Whilst William and Harry are reported to occasionally hunt, there is no suggestion that they have ever shot an animal illegally or any endangered species.
May’s comments were made just days after William vowed to destroy all 12,000 ivory artefacts in Buckingham Palace to “send a message” to illegal elephant poachers.
The priceless collection included a throne from India that belonged to Queen Victoria, as well as fans, tankards, statuettes and furniture. It is unclear, however, whether the move was ever followed through.
It was reported in 2020 that Prince Harry was hanging up his hunting guns after marrying Meghan Markle. According to Tatler, he sold his prized handmade rifles worth £50,000 before moving to North America.
William, however, continued in the family’s hunting tradition, and was criticised in the same year after he took Prince George, then 7, along with him to shoot grouse at Balmoral.