Prince George Is Being ‘Papped’ And Kensington Palace Is Not Amused
Prince George is no ordinary toddler. After all, the little Prince is third in line to the British throne after grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince William. Like his grandmother, Princess Diana, before him, Prince George is of great interest to many people and to the tabloid press in particular. It now seems that little George, who turned 2-years-old last month, is being hounded by the paparazzi, and Kensington Palace is not amused.
BBC News reports that earlier today, Jason Knauf, who is Prince William and Kate Middleton’s press secretary, sent out one of the most strongly worded press statements ever seen from a member of the British Royal family. The statement appeals to the worldwide press, asking them not to publish pictures of Prince George or his baby sister, Princess Charlotte, if they have been obtained through dubious or unofficial means.
According to CBS News, “a series of photographs showing two-year-old Prince George playing on Norfolk beach with his maternal grandmother Caroline Middleton seems to have been the last straw.” According to Kensington Palace, the royal family said Prince George has become the number one target of paparazzi photographers, who have gone to extreme lengths to snap the royal toddler.
The letter has thanked UK publications for not publishing unauthorized pictures of Prince George but says a small number of media organizations, mostly in Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., had published photos of Prince George in “unacceptable circumstances.”
The letter describes some of the lengths that paparazzi have gone to in taking photos of Prince George. There are claims that photographers have been found hiding on private property in fields and woodland locations around the Duke and Duchess’s Norfolk home. They have stalked the Prince and his nanny in public parks and even used small children in playgrounds in a bid to draw Prince George into the open.
According to Knauf, Prince William and Kate have been “delighted to share official photographs of Prince George and Princess Charlotte in recent months,” but they are “concerned about their ability to provide a childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte that is free from harassment and surveillance.”
Prince William is known to be keen to allow Prince George to grow up in as “normal” an environment as possible. He is especially sensitive to paparazzi intrusion as a result of Princess Diana’s experiences. Diana was hounded by the paparazzi right up to the last moments of her life, and many claim that paparazzi photographers were responsible for the crash in which she was killed.
[Photo by Matt Dunham/Getty Images]
