Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Issue Legal Warning over Canada Photos
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a legal warning to the media after photographs of the duchess in Canada were published in newspapers and on websites.
According to lawyers, the photos of Meghan Markle walking her dogs and carrying her son were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on her.
They say the duchess did not consent and accuse the photographers of harassment.
Prince Harry and Meghan say that they are prepared to take legal action.
They are believed to be alarmed by paparazzi activity near their current base on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
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Lawyers say there have also been attempts to photograph inside the couple’s home using long-range lenses and they accuse the paparazzi of being camped outside the property.
Under laws in British Columbia, Meghan Markle may have grounds for a legal case if she can prove her privacy has been violated, although freedom of the press and expression is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
This comes after Queen Elizabeth II agreed to Prince Harry and Meghan’s wish to step back from being full-time royals, to become financially independent and to split their time between the UK and Canada.
On January 20, Meghan Markle was pictured carrying the couple’s eight-month-old son Archie in a baby sling, while walking her two dogs, Guy and Oz, in Horth Hill Regional Park on Vancouver Island.
Prince Harry arrived back in Canada on January 21 after attending the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on January 20.
The Duke of Sussex had been apart from Meghan and their son for more than 10 days, after she flew back to Canada earlier this month.
On January 18, it was announced that from the spring, Prince Harry and his wife will no longer be full-time working royals.
They will stop using their HRH titles, no longer carry out royal duties or military appointments and no longer formally represent the Queen.
Prince Harry has long had an uneasy relationship with the media, having grown up aware of the impact the intense media interest had on the life of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi on motorbikes.
He has often compared Meghan’s experiences of the press with those of his late mother.