Royalty and Opposition to Blood Sports in Twentieth‐Century Britain: From Imperial Spoils to Wildlife Conservation?

Abstract: This article explores the relationship between the British royal family, the growth of opposition to blood sports and the influence of wildlife conservation during the twentieth century. It explores the way in which public attitudes to the British monarchy in relation to hunting have changed over time, reflecting the growing strength of public opposition to blood sports in the twentieth century. It will argue that the royal family's patronage of the wildlife conservation movement from the 1960s provided a new justification for hunting in a post imperialist world by the preservation of endangered species in nature reserves, but that this had very little impact on the trend of public opinion. It will highlight the paradox that while members of the royal family increasingly used wildlife conservation as a scientific justification for hunting after 1950, in terms of the general trend of public opinion such arguments had little influence and tended to work against the interests of sport hunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]