Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have condemned international paparazzi after two photographers were allegedly caught peering into their children’s school grounds.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, 40 and 43, issued a blistering statement through a spokesperson last week after private security and school staff spotted two men with backpacks approaching Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s school separately before being seen together in a white rental van. Police later confirmed the vehicle had been hired by international photographers, believed to be from a European press agency.
“The decision by photographers to conduct themselves in this way around a school is extraordinarily reckless,” the couple’s spokesperson said in the statement.
“There is a world of difference between legitimate media activity and photographers walking the perimeter of a school, stopping to look into the grounds and monitoring children as they go about their day.”
The spokesperson continued, “It is concerning enough that certain European paparazzi appear unwilling to respect the privacy of children at school. But to behave in this manner in these particular circumstances, and so soon after the incident at RAF Fairford, demonstrates an extraordinary lack of judgment.”
“Whatever photographs they may have been seeking, this was not only an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children; it was an irresponsible and ill-considered way to conduct themselves in the vicinity of a school,” they added.
The school intrusion marks another turbulent moment for the Sussexes since their return to the United Kingdom. Archie and Lilibet had already been moved to an undisclosed new school after just two days, with security concerns and heavy traffic during an extended commute cited as reasons for the abrupt transfer.
The family has been relying on self-funded private security since their armed police protection was formally withdrawn following their 2020 step back from frontline royal duties. They have contested this arrangement multiple times and are currently awaiting the outcome of an ongoing Home Office review examining their official security arrangements.
Tensions escalated further after Lord Chamberlain issued a letter to government and military officials stating the Sussexes are “private citizens” and outlining conduct guidelines. In response, Harry and Meghan said they had been “surprised” and preferred to be known as “public figures” instead.
It has since been reported that the couple issued an ultimatum threatening to step away from the UK again if the government refuses to grant them automatic, state-funded protection. Royal commentator Richard Eden told the Palace Confidential podcast he felt this was “akin to blackmail,” warning that restoring automatic protection would carry profound financial ramifications for the public.
The paparazzi incident also comes weeks after Harry and Meghan were involved in a chaotic scene at RAF Fairford, where they were pursued by photographers after attending an event. The couple’s statement explicitly referenced that earlier confrontation as context for why the school intrusion showed “extraordinary lack of judgment.”
Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, recently weighed in on press treatment of the couple during an interview’s Laura Kuenssberg. “If you look at an article in a tabloid about Diana or the couple that you were mentioning, Harry and Meghan, you know, they can be really, really unpleasant,” he said.
“And I think it would be really beholden on people to learn from Diana’s example. I’m not here to speak for Harry and Meghan, but for anyone who’s being destroyed in this way daily, it must be such a cancerous influence in their life,” Spencer continued.
The Sussexes’ spokesperson framed the school incident as part of a broader pattern of press behavior that fails to distinguish between public figures and their children’s private lives. European paparazzi, the statement suggested, have shown particular disregard for boundaries around school environments.
The couple’s security situation remains unresolved as they await the Home Office review outcome.