Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle, duke and duchess of Sussex, have already stumbled upon a snag in Canadian living.
The exiting royals issued a cease and desist letter to British media outlets threatening legal action following Meghan and baby Archie being photographed in a public park in Canada, TMZ reported Tuesday.
In England, Harry and Meghan were protected from being photographed in public outside of official appearances, TMZ noted.
“There are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose,” the cease and desist letter reads, according to the outlet.
The couple’s legal team claimed in the letter that the photographs of Meghan and her infant son were taken while photographers hid in the bushes. “The letter took special issue with the commentary around the pictures that suggested they had been taken with Meghan’s consent,” The New York Times reported.
According to the Times, The Daily Mail and The Sun posted the photos in question.
“Harry and Meghan have taken their privacy very seriously from the start of their relationshp, and even sued a UK tabloid last year for alleged misuse of private information,” TMZ reported. “In England, strict privacy laws protect even the Royals from being photographed in public when they’re not making official appearances.”
According to privacy law specialist David Elder, the couple could potentially bring a lawsuit forward under the under British Columbia’s Privacy Act, the Times reported. However, Elder noted, “the legislation contains many exemptions intended for news media, as does Canada’s constitution, and that Canadian courts have generally ruled that people in public places and public figures have little expectation of privacy.”
The privacy law specialist added that it “is unlikely to be a slam-dunk and, in fact, may be a difficult claim to make out successfully.”
Earlier this month, Harry and Meghan announced their intentions to step away from their royal duties and become financially independent.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the couple announced in a joint statement.
On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, pulled the trigger on the exiting royals, outing the new conditions of the split. For example, “His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness” titles from Harry and Meghan were stripped and the couple will be financially cut off from royal funds, effective this spring.
“Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” the Queen said in a statement, noting her support for their “independent” life.
According to ABC News, “Prince Harry is losing his military titles and patronages including Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant Royal Air Force Honington and Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command: Commodore in Chief. He will also no longer be a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Harry and Meghan will keep their roles at the Queen’s Commonwealth Truth – Harry serves as president and Meghan is vice-president.”
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