Kensington Palace, the residence and office of Prince William and Princess Kate, has written to the media urging them not to publish images taken by paparazzi photographers, who have been taking “increasingly extreme lengths” to get pictures of Prince George.
The letter, written by William and Kate’s communications secretary, says a “line has been crossed” by the paparazzi over the last couple of months. Their tactics have become dangerous and “represent a very real security risk” for the two-year-old prince.
Photographers’ behaviour have caused the William and Kate to be “concerned about their ability to provide a childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte that is free from harassment and surveillance.”
The statement also referred to an incident where a photographer parked outside a children’s play area and lay in the trunk in the hope of capturing a picture of the young prince:
A photographer rented a car and parked in a discreet location outside a children’s play area. Already concealed by darkened windows, he took the added step of hanging sheets inside the vehicle and created a hide stocked with food and drinks to get him through a full day of surveillance, waiting in hope to capture images of Prince George. Police discovered him lying down in the boot of the vehicle attempting to shoot photos with a long lens through a small gap in his hide. It is of course upsetting that such tactics – reminiscent as they are of past surveillance by groups intent on doing more than capturing images – are being deployed to profit from the image of a two-year old boy.
Kensington Palace also said that in recent months photographers have:
Used long range lenses to capture images of Kate playing with Prince George in a number of private parks
Monitored Prince George and his nanny’s movements around London parks
The movements of their household staff were also monitored by photographers
Children of individuals visiting the home of William and Kate were photographed
Photographers followed cars leaving family homes
Other children were used around playgrounds to draw Prince George into view
Photographers have been found hiding in fields and woodland around the Duke and Duchess’s home in Norfolk
In order to take photos of Prince George playing with his grandmother, they hid among sand dunes on a beach.
Put the Middleton family home in Berkshire under surveillance
“In a heightened security environment such tactics are a risk to all involved. The worry is that it will not always be possible to quickly distinguish between someone taking photos and someone intending to do more immediate harm,” read the statement.
The palace said that pictures taken in “unacceptable circumstances” have been used by organisations in the U.S., Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.
A Prince George Photo Album: See Will and Kate's Firstborn Grow Up
Prince George, fourth left, stands with other flower boys and girls after the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church onMay 20, 2017 in Englefield, England.Pool/Getty ImagesBritain's Prince George (R) waves as he leaves in a car after attending the wedding of his aunt, Pippa Middleton (L), to James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, on May 20, 2017.TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)Justin Tallis—AFP/Getty ImagesCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge wave to wellwishers as they depart Victoria on October 1, 2016 in Victoria, Canada. Samir Hussein—Getty ImagesPrince George of Cambridge attends a Christmas Day service at St. Marks Church in Englefield, England, on Dec. 25, 2016. Anwar Hussein—WireImage/Getty ImagesIn this October handout image provided by Kensington Palace on Dec. 18, 2015, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, pose for a portrait with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.Chris Jelf—PA Wire/Press Association ImagesQueen Elizabeth II with her five great-grandchildren and her two youngest grandchildren. She holds Princess Charlotte in her arms in this April 2016 photo.Annie Leibovitz—APThe firstborn of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is a busy toddler. Now three years old, Prince George has been photographed doing everything from helping his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II mark her 90th birthday to meeting President Obama in a bathrobe. Here's a look back at some of his most memorable moments.
Prince George with the family pet dog, Lupo, at his home in Norfolk, Britain, in mid-July. Kensington Palace released the image to mark his third birthday on July 22, 2016. Matt Porteous—Handout/ReutersBritain's Prince George points as he and his father, Prince William, look at a 'Squirrel' helicopter during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in western England on July 8, 2016.Richard Pohle—Pool/AFP/Getty ImagesPrince George displays the robe from a rocking horse with the ease of a seasoned runway model as he meets the President and First Lady on April 22, 2016.The White House—Getty ImagesPrince George meets President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in April 2016. The robe that he wore later sold out.The White House—Getty ImagesIn this image released by the Royal Mail on April 20, 2016, Britain's Prince George stands on foam blocks during a photo shoot in mid-2015 in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in London, for a stamp sheet to mark the 90th birthday of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. He is photographed with Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and his father, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.Ranald Mackechnie/Royal Mail—APCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, enjoy a short private skiing break in the French Alps on March 3, 2016. John Stillwel—WPA Pool/Getty ImagesPrince George with his father, the Duke of Cambridge, in the gardens at Sandringham House, Norfolk, England, on July 5, 2015. Mario Testino—APCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge arrive at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn, England. Chris Jackson—Getty ImagesCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge attend the Gigaset Charity Polo Match at the Beaufort Polo Club on June 14, 2015 in Tetbury, England.Max Mumby—Getty ImagesBritain's Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince Willian holding Prince George, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after attending the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London, June 13, 2015.Stefan Wermuth—ReutersPrince George of Cambridge is held by his nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo as he waves from the window of Buckingham Palace as he watches the Trooping The Colour ceremony on June 13, 2015 in London.Chris Jackson—Getty ImagesFile photo dated May 2, 2015 of the Duke of Cambridge with his son Prince George as he arrives at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, after the birth of his newborn daughter Princess Charlotte.Anthony Devlin—APPrince George and Princess CharlotteKensington PalaceBritain's Prince George's first birthday at the Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London on July 2, 2014.John Stillwell—AFP/Getty Images Prince George of Cambridge walks holding his mother Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's hand as they watch Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry play in the Jerudong Trophy charity polo match at Cirencester Park Polo Club on June 15, 2014 in Cirencester, England. Max Mumby—Indigo/Getty ImagesPrince George of Cambridge plays with a football whilst holding his mother Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's hand at Cirencester Park Polo Club on June 15, 2014 in Cirencester, England.Max Mumby—Indigo/Getty ImagesFrom left: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge along with baby Prince George visit Taronga Zoo on April 20, 2014 in Sydney.Michael Dunlea—Barcroft Media/LandovPrince George of Cambridge, with his parents Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, receives a gift from the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, at Admiralty House, on April 16, 2014 in Sydney. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, the first official trip overseas with their son, Prince George of Cambridge.David Foote—Admiralty House/Getty ImagesPrince William, Duke of Cambridge, holds Prince George as they board a Royal Australian Airforce Jet heading to Sydney at an airport in Wellington, New Zealand, April 16, 2014. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be in Australia until April 25, 2014.Mark Coote—EPABritain's Prince George, center, plays during a visit to Plunket, a nurse and parents group at Government House in Wellington, New Zealand April 9, 2014. Marty Melville—APCatherine, the Duchess of Cambridge holds Prince George during a Plunket nurse and parents group visit at Government House in Wellington United Kingdom on April 9, 2014. MARTY MELVILLE—AFP/Getty ImagesPrince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge arrive at Wellington Airport's military terminal for the start of their tour on April 7, 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand. Samir Hussein—WireImagePrince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge pose for an official family portrait at Kensington Palace, ahead of their tour to Australia and New Zealand, with their pet dog Lupo on March 18, 2014 in London. Jason Bell—Camera Press via Getty ImageThe official portrait for the christening of Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, photographed at Clarence House in London on October 23, 2013. Prince George wears an outfit made of delicate Honiton lace and white satin - an exact replica of the one worn before him by every baby born to the British Royal family since 1841. Jason Bell—Camera Press/ReduxCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge pose for a photograph with their son, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge in the garden of the Middleton family home in August, 2013, in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Michael Middleton—Kensington Palace via Getty ImagesPrince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, depart The Lindo Wing with their newborn son, Prince George, at St Mary's Hospital in London on July 23, 2013.Dave J Hogan—Getty Images