Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to have officially finalized their new relationship with the royal family. (If you’re unfamiliar, the couple announced two weeks ago they’d be stepping down as senior members of the royal family and attempting to become financially independent.) While Prince Harry was still sorting out a couple of details in London, several photos of Markle hiking with baby Archie on Vancouver Island surfaced yesterday. But the couple isn’t letting this slide. According to TMZ, they asked their lawyers to warn publications about publishing or reprinting the pictures.
TMZ reports that Markle and Prince Harry filed a cease-and-desist letter through their lawyers. It reportedly says that “there are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose,” and notes that the person who took the images was hiding behind bushes watching Markle in order to get it (ick). They also note that photographers have been using telephoto lenses and setting up camp right outside where they’ve been living on Vancouver Island.
All of this is a sign that no matter what happens with their new royal arrangement, the couple is looking to protect their privacy, first and foremost. They announced last October that they had initiated legal proceedings against the British tabloid Mail on Sunday, as well as its parent company, Associated Newspapers, for its use of a private, intimate letter Meghan Markle wrote to her father. Several of her lawyers also corrected a bunch of false stories written about her over the last few years, which some think is what ultimately triggered the couple’s stepping back as senior royals. Now that they have a new system in place, it’s clear they’re setting parameters and boundaries for what they want their new life to look like in Canada.
“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,” Markle and Prince Harry said about their new roles in the royal family.
