Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have raised concerns about their children’s safety after two international paparazzi photographers were spotted outside the school attended by Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The couple’s spokesperson condemned the photographers’ actions as “extraordinarily reckless”, arguing that monitoring the school grounds and looking inside amounted to an unacceptable intrusion into children’s privacy.
The incident has prompted fresh questions about the security arrangements surrounding the Sussex family, particularly because Archie and Lilibet had reportedly been attending their new school for only around two weeks.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a statement (Image: Getty)
Two photographers spotted near school gates
According to reports, the two men were first seen separately near the school before later being observed together.
Private security personnel and school staff reportedly noticed the photographers carrying backpacks as they stopped at various points around the grounds and peered inside.
The pair subsequently returned to a white van, which police established was a rental vehicle. Investigators traced the driving licence used to hire the van to an international press photographer.
Both men were later identified as photographers working for a recognised European press agency.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have only been at the school for two weeks (Image: Meghan Markle)
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan expressed concern about the circumstances, drawing a distinction between legitimate media activity and photographers monitoring children near their school.
“The decision by photographers to conduct themselves in this way around a school is extraordinarily reckless,” the spokesperson said.
The representative added that the behaviour was particularly concerning given the circumstances surrounding the family’s security and the children’s right to privacy.
“Whatever photographs they may have been seeking, this was not only an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children; it was an irresponsible and ill-considered way to conduct themselves in the vicinity of a school.”
Fresh concerns following RAF Fairford arrests
The school incident reportedly occurred around 48 hours after five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
A farmer had discovered three vans blocking a road during the early hours of Sunday, prompting a separate security response.
The military base has been used in recent months by US bombers launching air strikes against Iran.
Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson referred to the timing of the school incident, saying the photographers’ conduct demonstrated a lack of judgment, particularly so soon after the RAF Fairford incident.
However, the reported incidents have not been established as connected.
Archie and Lilibet recently moved schools
The latest concerns come after Archie and Lilibet were reportedly moved from their previous school because of security worries.
The couple’s security team had raised concerns about the safety of the school run, and the children were transferred to another school after just two days at their previous one.
At the time of the latest reported incident, the siblings were believed to have attended their new school for approximately two weeks.
The reported sightings of the photographers have therefore brought renewed attention to the challenge of protecting the children’s privacy while their parents remain prominent international public figures.
Neither the precise details of the family’s security arrangements nor the full circumstances surrounding the photographers’ presence have been publicly established in the supplied report.
Diana’s experience remains part of the wider debate
The incident also brings renewed attention to the long-running tensions between the British royal family and the press over privacy and security.
Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. The vehicle was being driven by a chauffeur who had been drinking, and the car was travelling at speed while being pursued by paparazzi photographers.
Diana’s death has remained a significant part of discussions about press intrusion and the safety of public figures and their families.
For Harry and Meghan, the latest reported incident raises a more immediate concern: ensuring that Archie and Lilibet can attend school without photographers monitoring them around the school grounds.
The couple’s spokesperson has made their position clear, arguing that the presence of photographers in such circumstances crosses a line between legitimate media activity and the privacy children should be afforded at school.