The Internet all but breaks at a Prince George sighting. Over the past two years, the duke and duchess have not shied away from sharing photos of their baby boy.
Now, in a letter posted by Kensington Palace on its official website and Twitter account, the royals are calling out the paparazzi for the "increasingly dangerous" tactics used to get photos of the two-year-old prince. The palace is calling on paparazzi -- and the publications that pay them for photos -- to cease taking unauthorized photos of the child.
The letter, written by Communications Secretary Jason Knauf, thanks the majority of the public and publications for supporting their privacy, but also plainly lists some of the disturbing ways paparazzi have tried to get close to Prince George, including one particularly unsettling instance:
"A photographer rented a car and parked in a discreet location outside a children's play area. Already concealed by darkened windows, he took the added step of hanging sheets inside the vehicle and created a hide stocked with food and drinks to get him through a full day of surveillance, waiting in hope to capture images of Prince George. Police discovered him lying down in the boot of the vehicle attempting to shoot photos with a long lens through a small gap in his hide."
The royal family is not alone in their plea for privacy. Back in 2013, a bill presented by Halle Berry to protect children of public figures was passed in California, making harassment of those minors punishable by hefty fines or even jail time.
The letter acknowledges that just like any other set of parents, the duke and duchess hope to provide a normal childhood (relatively speaking) for George and Charlotte. That, of course, includes allowing them to live their lives outside of their private, gated homes.
"They know that almost all parents love to share photos of their children and they themselves enjoy doing so," the statement reads. But they know every parent would object to anyone – particularly strangers – taking photos of their children without their permission."
Here's hoping both paparazzi and publications take this letter into consideration before snapping their next unauthorized shot.
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