Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, filed a lawsuit in California on Thursday against unnamed paparazzi photographers for allegedly taking ‘illegal’ photographs of their son, Archie.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, cited ‘serial intrusions’ of privacy of the couple’s 14-month old child, and came as a measure to protect him from the ‘manufactured feeding frenzy.’
‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are filing this lawsuit to protect their young son’s right to privacy in their home without intrusion by photographers, and to uncover and stop those who seek to profit from these illegal actions,’ the attorney for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, cited ‘serial intrusions’ of privacy of the couple’s 14-month old child, and came as a measure to protect him from the ‘manufactured feeding frenzy’. Pictured is Meghan and Harry with Archie in 2019
The lawsuit also alleged that drones and helicopters entered the privacy of the airspace above the couple’s residence.
The couple seeks ‘no special treatment’ and is only seeking the right to be left alone in the privacy of their home as guaranteed under the laws of California, the lawsuit stated.
Meghan, Harry and their one-year-old son Archie have been staying at Hollywood producer Tyler Perry’s $18 million mega-mansion in the exclusive neighborhood of Beverly Ridge since moving to LA in March.
In their lawsuit, they say they took considerable privacy measures at Tyler’s mansion, including the erection of alarge mesh fence around the property to guard against telephoto lenses.
But they can’t protect against drones which are being flown ‘a mere 20 feet above the house as often as three times a day’.
Meghan, Harry and their one-year-old son Archie have been staying at Hollywood producer Tyler Perry’s $18 million mega-mansion in the exclusive neighborhood of Beverly Ridge
The lawsuit, filed by celebrity lawyer Michael Kump, said some some media outlets flew helicopters above the home and photographers had even cut holes in their fence to snap pictures.
They said the behavior ‘crossed a red line for any parent’ by shopping pics of their son.
Harry and Meghan’s suit also claims that the photographer trying to sell pictures of their son claimed they were taken in public, in Malibu. But the couple have not been to the area, or in public with their son, since moving to LA and say the snapper is simply trying to hide the fact they have ‘unsolicited photographs of a young child in the privacy of his own home’ which are ‘very much unlawful.’
They have also attempted to try and reduce the ‘bounty’ price of Archie photos by sharing pictures of him on social media.
The couple relocated to LA earlier this year, but royal expert Victoria Murphy believes they aren’t looking for a ‘totally private life’. The says they stepped back from the royal family to gain more control over ‘what they spend their time on’.
Speaking to Town and Country, the commentator noted that Harry and Meghan still want a public life but with greater control over their time.
[Harry and Meghan] have stepped back not in search of a totally private life but for a different kind of public life,’ Victoria said. ‘A public life where they can have more control over who gets access to them and what they spend their time on.
Meghan and Harry have only been spotted out a handful of times since their move to LA in March, most recently leaving an appointment in Beverly Hills, as the friend explained the couple is starting to feel ‘cooped up’, leaving Meghan ready to get out of town for her birthday. Pictured on July 10
The pair have only been spotted out a handful of times, most recently leaving an appointment in Beverly Hills, as the friend explained the couple is starting to feel ‘cooped up’, leaving Meghan ready to get out of town for her birthday.
It was recently revealed that Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland had moved into Tyler Perry’s mega-mansion to help take care of Archie.
A friend previously told DailyMail.com that Meghan wants to keep her mother close because she is ‘her rock’ and now ‘doesn’t trust many people’ outside of an immediate circle of family and friends.
Meghan had the full support of her mother when she and Prince Harry quit as senior royals back in January.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped the bombshell news that they were quitting, dividing their time between North America and the UK and would work to become financially independent, the royal family and the rest of the world were caught off guard.
However, Meghan reportedly had the backing of her Los Angeles-based mother, who ‘was really worried about Meghan… and is relieved that her daughter is putting her mental health and well being first,’ the insider said.
The friend added: ‘Doria is very much about being true to oneself and so of course she will continue to encourage Meghan to take the road less traveled.’