The duchess can rest easy (for as long as baby Archie will allow, that is).
Grouse hunting, aka the act of shooting pheasant-like birds for food and sport, is a royal pastime—one that Meghan Markle is reportedly against, seeing as she's a big animal lover and activist. However, this year's hunting has been officially canceled for reasons outside of the duchess's control, according to Vanity Fair.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were thought to have visited the queen at Balmoral (the site of royal grouse hunting) for the duchess's birthday on August 4, though they may be visiting later in the month, according to Vanity Fair. William and Kate are believed to be spending some time at the Scottish estate in the coming weeks as well.
Whenever they make the trek to Balmoral, though, they won't have to worry about packing hunting gear (for which Markle is surely breathing a sigh of relief). Reportedly, a plague of heather beetles that has overtaken the moors of Scotland is the reason the queen's favorite vacation sport was canceled this year. The infestation, which eats the grouse's main food supply, thereby endangering the natural grouse population, has caused the “Glorious Twelfth,” the name for the official first day of grousing season, to be canceled.
