Prince Harry spokesman slams ‘reckless’ paparazzi tactics at kids’ school

A spokesperson for Prince Harry harshly criticized as "extremely reckless" the behavior of two press photographers observed outside his children's British school. "There is a significant distinction between legitimate media activity and photographers lingering on the periphery of a school, peering into the grounds and tracking children," the spokesperson stated.

The school, where Prince Harry's children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, attend, is located in the United Kingdom after the family's return from Britain following their relocation to the country. Harry and his American wife Meghan recently returned to the United Kingdom from six years spent in the United States, after their decision to cease working in the monarchy due to a contentious dispute with Harry's family. The family is currently residing in the Cotswolds, a region in central England.

Two men, carrying backpacks and utilizing a white van, were spotted by private security and school personnel traversing the school grounds and observing the pupils. They were initially seen individually and subsequently together before returning to the van. Subsequently, police determined that the vehicle was a rental and that the men were international photographers employed by a European press agency.

The incident occurred earlier in the week. This development follows the declaration of a "major incident" by police in southwestern Gloucestershire, encompassing parts of the Cotswolds, on Sunday, after the arrest of five men suspected of involvement in explosives and terror offenses near the RAF (Royal Air Force) Fairford military base. The base is utilized by the US Air Force.

"The conduct displayed in these particular circumstances, following the Fairford incident so closely, reveals an astonishing lack of judgment," the spokesperson asserted. "Regardless of the photographs they may have sought, this was an unacceptable invasion of children's privacy and an irresponsible, ill-conceived approach to their behavior near a school," the spokesperson emphasized. The British press has thus far honored Harry's request for the children's privacy to be respected.