Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against unspecified paparazzi photographers for violating the privacy of their 14- month old son, Archie.
The former senior royals said in a statement that they were trying to preserve Archie from the unhealthy media interest and to protect his right of privacy at his home. Moreover, they wanted to stop the photographers from seeking to profit from their “illegal” actions.
The lawsuit alleged that helicopters and drones entered the airspace above their home in Los Angeles, causing security concerns. Some media outlets have flown drones 20 feet above their house three times a day in order to obtain pictures of the young family. Others have flown helicopters over their backyard, the filing said.
The couple had to install a mesh fence to block photos, but it did not help, according to the filing.
Harry and Meghan recently learned that someone was trying to sell photographs of Archie, claiming they were taken during a public arrangement in Malibu.
According to the family, Archie has not been in public, let alone in Malibu, since they moved to California a while ago. The young parents claimed they were worried that their kid’s photos are in the hands of a profit-oriented stranger.
The couple’s lawyer, Michael Kump, noted that California’s law guarantees every individual’s privacy in their home.
The family left the United Kingdom and abandoned its royal duties in the end of March, seeking privacy and ”normal life.” The increased media hostility towards Meghan Markle in the United Kingdom also contributed to that decision.
In April, the couple informed Britain’s biggest tabloids, The Sun and Daily Mail, that there would be ”zero engagement” with them in the future due to their hostile and often false coverage on the family’s private life.
This is the second time the couple is taking legal actions against media outlets. In 2019, Meghan Markle sued the publisher of the British tabloid Mail on Sunday, claiming it illegally published a private letter written by her estranged father on the eve of their royal wedding.
Harry and Meghan argued the newspaper misused private information, infringing the British copyright and data protection law that entered into force in 2018.
What do you think? Do you think the couple will win the suit and protect their child’s privacy?