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Palace warns of 'increasingly dangerous' paparazzi tactics targeting Prince George Palace warns of 'increasingly dangerous' paparazzi tactics targeting Prince George
(35 minutes later)
Kensington Palace has accused paparazzi photographers of harassing Prince George and using “increasingly dangerous” tactics to get pictures of the royal toddler.Kensington Palace has accused paparazzi photographers of harassing Prince George and using “increasingly dangerous” tactics to get pictures of the royal toddler.
In an unusually strongly worded open letter, Jason Knauf, the communications secretary of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, said the tactics used by some photographers were creating a “very real security risk”. In an unusually strongly worded open letter, Jason Knauf, the communications secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, said the tactics used by some photographers were creating a “very real security risk”.
He said their actions, which included using other children to draw Prince George into view in playgrounds, had left William and Kate “concerned about their ability to provide a childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte that is free from harassment and surveillance”. Detailing a catalogue of recent intrusions into the family’s privacy, he said photographers had recently been discovered hiding in car boots and sand dunes as they staked out the royals.
The letter detailed a series of incidents involving paparazzi including one last week when a photographer set up a “hide” in his car with sheets and supplies of food and drink as he staked out a play area. He even claimed they used other young children as bait to draw the prince into view while he was playing outside.
Other incidents included: Knauf said the two-year-old, who is third in line to the throne, has become the “number one target” for some unscrupulous photographers.
Knauf said: “It is of course upsetting that such tactics – reminiscent as they are of past surveillance by groups intent on doing more than capturing images – are being deployed to profit from the image of a two-year-old boy. And while he thanked British media organisations for refusing to publish unauthorised photos of the prince and his three-month-old sister Charlotte, he warned that “a handful of international media titles” are still willing to pay for them.
“In a heightened security environment such tactics are a risk to all involved. The worry is that it will not always be possible to quickly distinguish between someone taking photos and someone intending to do more immediate harm.” As well as creating a “very real security risk”, he said their actions had left the Duke and Duchess “concerned about their ability to provide a childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte that is free from harassment and surveillance”.
The letter said that although most media outlets would not use images of the prince taken in this way, “a handful of international media titles” were willing to pay for them. The warning detailed a series of recent incidents, including one last week when a photographer set up a “hide” in his car with sheets and supplies of food and drink as he staked out a play area.
Knauf said the royal couple “have been delighted to share official photographs of Prince George and Princess Charlotte in recent months to thank the public for the thousands of kind messages of support they have received”. Knauf said these tactics were “reminiscent” of past surveillance by terrorist groups and hinted that the photographers themselves may be at risk if royal bodyguards are unable to distinguish between paparazzi and would-be assassins.
He added: “The duke and duchess are of course very fortunate to have private homes where photographers cannot capture images of their children. He said: “It is of course upsetting that such tactics – reminiscent as they are of past surveillance by groups intent on doing more than capturing images – are being deployed to profit from the image of a two-year-old boy.
“In a heightened security environment such tactics are a risk to all involved.
“The worry is that it will not always be possible to quickly distinguish between someone taking photos and someone intending to do more immediate harm.”
The letter documented other recent incidents, including surveillance of the Berkshire home of the Duchess’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton, hiding in sand-dunes to take photos of Prince George playing on the beach with his grandmother, hiding on private property in fields and woodland around the Duke and Duchess’s home in Norfolk, using long lenses to monitor the prince’s movement around London parks with his nanny and pursuing cars leaving family homes.
Knauf said that photographers had even “used other children to draw Prince George into view around playgrounds”.
He said the intrusions had caused “deep unease” to the Duke and Duchess, particularly as they only learned they had been followed days later when the photographs emerged.
Knauf added: “The Duke and Duchess are of course very fortunate to have private homes where photographers cannot capture images of their children.
“But they feel strongly that both Prince George and Princess Charlotte should not grow up exclusively behind palace gates and in walled gardens.“But they feel strongly that both Prince George and Princess Charlotte should not grow up exclusively behind palace gates and in walled gardens.
“They want both children to be free to play in public and semi-public spaces with other children without being photographed.”“They want both children to be free to play in public and semi-public spaces with other children without being photographed.”
Royal officials have issued similar statements in the past but have rarely gone into such detail. In the letter, Knauf said the royal couple had “expressed their gratitude to British media organisations for their policy of not publishing unauthorised photos of their children”.
“It is clear that while paparazzi are always keen to capture images of any senior member of the royal family, Prince George is currently their number one target,” the letter said. He added: “They are pleased also that almost all reputable publications throughout the Commonwealth – in particular Australia, Canada, and New Zealand – and in other major media markets like the United States have adopted a similar position.”
“We have made the decision to discuss these issues now as the incidents are becoming more frequent and the tactics more alarming. A line has been crossed and any further escalation in tactics would represent a very real security risk.” He said the couple “have been delighted to share official photographs of Prince George and Princess Charlotte in recent months to thank the public for the thousands of kind messages of support they have received. “News photographers have had several recent opportunities to take photos of the family and these will be a regular occurrence as both children get older.”
The issue of paparazzi harassment is a particularly sensitive one for Prince William as his mother, Diana, died in a car crash in Paris while being pursued by photographers. However, he criticised the “handful of international media titles” who are still willing to pay for unauthorised photos and threatened further legal action against them. He said: “It is clear that while paparazzi are always keen to capture images of any senior member of the royal family, Prince George is currently their number one target. “We have made the decision to discuss these issues now as the incidents are becoming more frequent and the tactics more alarming. A line has been crossed and any further escalation in tactics would represent a very real security risk.”
“All of this has left the duke and duchess concerned about their ability to provide a childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte that is free from harassment and surveillance,” the letter said. Although it is not the first time royal officials have complained about media intrusion, they have rarely gone into so much detail.
“They know that almost all parents love to share photos of their children and they themselves enjoy doing so. Last year, when the Duke and Duchess believed their son had been harassed during a trip with his nanny to Battersea Park their lawyers warned the photographer to stop “following” the toddler prince.
“But they know every parent would object to anyone – particularly strangers – taking photos of their children without their permission. Knauf said the palace was continuing to take such legal action. But he added: “We are aware that many people who read and enjoy the publications that fuel the market for unauthorised photos of children do not know about the unacceptable circumstances behind what are often lovely images.
“Every parent would understand their deep unease at only learning they had been followed and watched days later when photographs emerged.” “The use of these photos is usually dressed up with fun, positive language about the ‘cute’, ‘adorable’ photos and happy write ups about the family. We feel readers deserve to understand the tactics deployed to obtain these pictures.
“We hope a public discussion of these issues will help all publishers of unauthorised photos of children to understand the power they hold to starve this disturbing activity of funding.”