Victoria: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle started their new life Tuesday in Canada by launching a legal warning to media over photographs of the duchess near their seaside bolthole.
Following their shock exit from life as working royals, Harry jetted out from Britain to join Meghan late Monday at a luxury house outside this city on Vancouver Island.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have temporarily set up base at the wooded home, having spent six weeks there over Christmas with their baby son Archie.
The couple, who married in May 2018, admitted last year that they were struggling with media scrutiny and have regularly hit out at the press in statements and in the courts.
Their lawyers issued a legal warning after various outlets Tuesday published photographs of a smiling Meghan out walking her dogs with Archie.
In Britain, the pictures were used by ‘The Sun’ and the ‘Daily Mail’ newspapers.
Lawyers claimed the images were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on the US former television actress, the ‘BBC’ reported, and that she did not consent to the photos. The couple was prepared to take legal action, according to the ‘BBC’.
The lawyers claim there had been attempts to photograph inside their new home using long lenses, and say paparazzi are camped outside the property.
A freelance photojournalist working in the area, who said he was from California but wanted to remain anonymous, said the potential legal issues are ‘kind of tough’, but that he does not let them affect his work.
“Canada has freedom of the press laws,” the photographer said, sitting in the driver’s seat of a white SUV with his photography gear on the passenger’s side.
“From what I understand, as long as you are not following them, harassing them, breaking the law, as long as it’s a matter of public interest – and the monarchy always is – the the press is free to cover it.”
Harry, 35, and 38-year-old Meghan are bowing out entirely from representing the monarchy, in a crisis that has shaken the centuries-old institution.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied Tuesday having spoken ‘directly’ with Queen Elizabeth about the security costs, after British media reports that the country had offered to foot the bill.
“Discussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment,” Trudeau told a news conference.
Canadian media have estimated the cost of protecting the couple and their eight-month-old son Archie at about Can$1.7 million (US$1.3 million) a year. Other estimates run higher.
Agencies
