King Charles furious over lack of pheasants to shoot at Sandringham, gamekeeper fired: report
King Charles, 76, is reportedly furious about the lack of pheasants to shoot at Sandringham. The population of game bird numbers at the royal family's Norfolk estate has been dwindling, according to a report in The Sun, and the British monarch is not happy.
In fact, Charles is so displeased about his hunting plans being disrupted that a long-serving gamekeeper at Sandringham has been fired, The Sun report added.
Sandringham is a royal estate in Norfolk, England. It is best known as one of the private residences of the British royal family and is particularly associated with King Charles and, before him, Queen Elizabeth II. The British royal family traditionally spends Christmas and New Year there.
Although it is today a controversial sport, hunting has long been a central part of the royal family's life at Sandringham. Pheasant shooting, in particular, is a traditional winter activity among British aristocracy, and Sandringham has played host to several royal hunting parties through the decades.
It is today one of the few wild shoots left in England, meaning pheasants are reared for the express purpose of being hunted.
However, the lack of hunting birds at Sandringham has left King Charles livid. Every year, the royal family takes part in the traditional Boxing Day shoot at Sandringham - but Charles has threatened to cancel the shooting party this year, putting a halt to a decades-old tradition over shortage of game birds.
'It was a total cock-up. No birds, no bang, just red faces. The King wasn't having it,' a source told The Sun.
A gamekeeper at the estate has reportedly been shown the door, with the source saying: 'Let's just say he's well and truly plucked off.'
Although furious, King Charles is not in favour of importing pheasants from breeders to bridge the gap, said a report in Hello magazine.
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