Paparazzi scare

Looking at myself I become pretty bored when I hear and read too much about one particular royal house. When I started learning about royals most information I could get – mainly from the gossip magazines here in the country – was about the Dutch, British royal family and the princely family of Monaco. Since I have never really been fascinated anymore by Great Britain or Monaco. I personally somehow prefer somewhat lesser known families. But how far can fascination go … and how far are photographers and journalists allowed to go in your opinion in taking pictures and getting information about royals?

Yesterday Kensington Palace, on behalf of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, sent a letter to various media organisations trying to make them aware of the way mainly paparazzi photographers work. They also would like to make readers understand what tactics are used to take the pictures these readers enjoy so much. And no, thus is not even about pictures of grown-up royals, who are used to something, but about a little hardly 2-year-old boy, Prince George, who is already being followed everywhere he goes it seems. Clearly the amount of photos taken at public events and family occasions isn’t enough for many people. The Duke and Duchess say they are happily sharing photos of their children and will take them to more public events as they get older. But as George is just two years old, and Charlotte only a few months old, we might have to wait a bit.

Remembering how the Duke’s mother, Diana Princess of Wales died 18 years ago it is extra understandable the couple is worrying about the way their children are already harrassed at this age. Is it really that important to see pictures each week, you wonder? And I think William and Catherine are correct when saying: “every child, regardless of their future public role, deserves a safe, happy and private childhood”. That doesn’t only mean their children, but also the children of any other person in the world, famous or not. They wish that George and Charlotte don’t have to grow up behind palace gates and in walled gardens. They should be able to play in public with other children.

Last week the police caught a photographer who had rented a car, parked near a children’s play area where the little Prince George was expected to play, and hid in the boot of his vehicle to shoot photos with a long lens through a small gap. He had enough drinks and food with him to stay there for a while. Tactics that are not only a risk for himself but also for others. Kensington Palace gave a few examples of what happened. The Duchess and Prince George being photographed with long range lenses in private parks, Prince George and his nanny being monitored around London Parks, staff of the Ducal household being monitored, the children of private persons visiting their home being photographed without permission, the use of other children to draw Prince George into view around playgrounds, hiding on private property around Anmer Hall, hiding in sand dunes to be able to take photos of Prince George and his grandmother Carole Middleton on the beach, and even monitoring locations near the house of the Middleton family in Bucklebury. Paparazzi clearly try a lot just to get all these wanted exclusive photos for a number of magazines that don’t mind publishing them. As Kensington Palace says these incidents are becoming more and more frequent and the tactics being used are getting worse. Hence yesterday’s warning.

Just wonder what your opinion is? And do you think other royal houses are doing a better job, or could be taken as an example maybe for the British royals?

To read the full text and see the letter of Kensington Palace go to Prince of Wales’s Website.