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Prince Harry and Meghan threaten legal action over paparazzi photos

Kristine Tarbert
·Features and Health Editor
Updated
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to view the newly unveiled UK war memorial and Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are on day 13 of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool Photo via AP)
Harry and Meghan are taking their privacy very seriously. Photo: AP

Prince Harry and Meghan have threatened legal action over paparazzi photos taken of Meghan and Archie in a park in Canada this week.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are making it clear they want to be left alone, after officially stepping away from royal duties, by issuing a cease and desist letter to the UK media.

According to the BBC, lawyers say the couple have expressed concern the photos of Meghan walking her dogs and carrying Archie were taken by photographers hiding in the bushes and spying. And that she did not consent to having her photo taken.

They have accused the photographers of harassment, adding the couple are prepared to take legal action if necessary.

“There are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose,” the letter read, TMZ reports.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 29: (UK OUT FOR 28 DAYS) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Abel Tasman National Park, which sits at the north-Eastern tip of the South Island, to visit some of the conservation initiatives managed by the Department of Conservation on October 29, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. (Photo by Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Media outlets have been warned not to publish paparazzi photos of Meghan and Archie in the park. Photo: AP

Prince Harry officially touched down in Canada on Tuesday after his final royal engagement in the UK.

But the couple are reportedly concerned about the heightened paparazzi activity near their current home base in Vancouver, with lawyers also claiming there have been attempts by photographers to grab a snap from inside their home.

Under Canadian law, Meghan definitely has grounds for a legal case, because taking photos with a telephoto lens where Meghan could have an expectation of privacy could be a basis for suing, but freedom of the press and expression is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

January 20th 2020 - Buckingham Palace has announced that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will no longer use "royal highness" titles and will not receive public money for their royal duties. Additionally, as part of the terms of surrendering their royal responsibilities, Harry and Meghan will repay the $3.1 million cost of taxpayers' money that was spent renovating Frogmore Cottage - their home near Windsor Castle. - January 9th 2020 - Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex and Duchess Meghan of Sussex intend to step back their duties and responsibilities as senior members of the British Royal Family. - File Photo by: zz/KGC-09/STAR MAX/IPx 2018 10/22/18 Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex and Meghan The Duchess of Sussex visit Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island in Australia.
It's the second time the Sussexes have threatened legal action, with one case currently underway. Photo: AP

Harry and Meghan announced late last year they were taking legal action against the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a private letter that Meghan's lawyers said was "unlawful".

Mail on Sunday and its parent company, Associated Newspapers, are accused of unlawfully publishing the letter from Meghan to her father Thomas Markle from February 2019.

The paper argues the publication was justified because there is a “huge and legitimate” public interest in the “personal relationships” of members of the royal family.

The couple also accused some sections of the British press of bullying behaviour.

Prince Harry then launched another lawsuit against the publishers of British tabloids The Sun and The Daily Mirror in the High Court over the hacking of voicemail messages.

“Claims have been filed on behalf of The Duke of Sussex at the High Court regarding the illegal interception of voicemail messages,” a spokeswoman for Harry said, declining to give further details of the claim.

A spokeswoman for News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, confirmed that a claim had been issued by Harry.

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