There is no escaping the fact that we live in a digital age. Posting a photo of your newborn on Facebook is sometimes the only way your close family and friends even know you gave birth.
Every mother, father, grandparent and aunty has the choice about the photos they share of their children online, and who gets the privilege of seeing them.
You know, unless you’re a royal.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had two very public pregnancies, births and christenings now. They know that with the kind of international fan base the pair have, it's only a matter of time before photographers start poking around for exclusive shots of their bundles of joy. Unfortunately, that's their reality.
But we've gone beyond 'poking around' and reached a point where the words 'full blown stalking' are officially sounding alarm bells. The paparazzi is engaging in criminal behaviour and clearly violating the rights of the royal children.
And that's ruining an innocent two-year-old and his sister's chance of normalcy. Their innocence. And their childhood.
The Palace of Kensington has released a statement to warn paparazzi once and for all that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.
"We continue to take legal steps to manage incidents as they occur. But we are aware that many people who read and enjoy the publications that fuel the market for unauthorised photos of children do not know about the unacceptable circumstances behind what are often lovely images. The use of these photos is usually dressed up with fun, positive language about the 'cute', 'adorable' photos and happy write ups about the family. We feel readers deserve to understand the tactics deployed to obtain these pictures."
No parent would allow a stranger to take photos of their child without permission.
No parent would go to the playground expecting the be followed.
No parent would keep their child indoors every day to avoid them being seen or watched.
In many respects, Kate and William are normal parents. Except they've had to deal with these situations.
The letter describes many occasions when the paparazzi have taken their job way too far:
"They have used long range lenses to capture images of The Duchess playing with Prince George in a number of private parks; monitored the movements of Prince George and his nanny around London parks and monitored the movements of other household staff; photographed the children of private individuals visiting The Duke and Duchess's home; pursued cars leaving family homes; used other children to draw Prince George into view around playgrounds; been found hiding on private property in fields and woodland locations around The Duke and Duchess's home in Norfolk; obscured themselves in sand dunes on a rural beach to take photos of Prince George playing with his grandmother; placed locations near the Middleton family home in Berkshire under steady surveillance."
Just like every other parent, The Duke and Duchess have grave concerns for the safety of their family now that their private estates have been targeted.
"All of this has left The Duke and Duchess concerned about their ability to provide a childhood for Prince George and Princess Charlotte that is free from harassment and surveillance. They know that almost all parents love to share photos of their children and they themselves enjoy doing so. But they know every parent would object to anyone – particularly strangers – taking photos of their children without their permission. Every parent would understand their deep unease at only learning they had been followed and watched days later when photographs emerged."
Prince George, 2, and his sister Charlotte, who is 3 months old, are not just an opportunity for profit. It is not their parents responsibility to hide them from the outside world, it is the outside world's responsibility to protect and respect them. The letter goes on to say:
"The Duke and Duchess feel strongly that both Prince George and Princess Charlotte should not grow up exclusively behind palace gates and in walled gardens. They want both children to be free to play in public and semi-public spaces with other children without being photographed. In addition, the privacy of those other children and their families must also be preserved."
This call for common decency and courtesy shouldn't have had to be said. That's the main issue here. So can everyone please put down their binoculars and let the royal family live in peace?
TAP the pic to see more of your favourite royals. (All these photos are from official engagements.)
