Prince William Takes Legal Action Against Paparazzi For ‘Hounding’ Son Prince George

Prince William has taken legal action against paparazzi photographing his son Prince George, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 32, feel a line has been crossed as the photographers ‘hound’ his son as he goes on walks with his nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

It’s understood that the snappers have been trying to take photos of the one-year-old royal for some time – but when they tried to photograph him in Battersea Park last week, it was the final straw.

“The Duke and Duchess have taken legal steps to ask that an individual ceases harassing and following both Prince George and his nanny as they go about their ordinary daily lives,” said a spokesman for William and Kate.

“An incident last week has prompted Their Royal Highnesses to seek reasonable assurances from the individual about his behaviour.”

The spokesman added that the couple feel that the unnamed member of the paparazzi has Prince George under ‘constant surveillance.’

“The individual was spotted at a central London Park in the vicinity of Prince George, who was removed from the park immediately,” they said.

“There is reason to suspect that the individual may been placing Prince George under surveillance and monitoring his daily routines for a period of time.”

There have been a number of ‘clear privacy breaches’ in recent weeks including when a photographer was waiting outside Buckingham Palace for the young Prince to finish swimming in the palace pool.

Photographers have also been spotted outside the family’s Kensington Palace home.

A senior source confirmed to the Evening Standard that one of the photographers has already been spoken to by the couple’s security staff about his behaviour.

“One of the individuals has already been spoken to by protection officers about his behaviour in respect of members of the Royal Family on previous occasions over a number of years,” the source told the Standard.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge want their son – who’s the third in line to the throne – to have his privacy respected, just like any other toddler.

"Just like any parent, the Duke and Duchess want Prince George to have the freedom to safely experience normal childhood activities, like going to the park and playing with other children, without the threat of harassment or being placed under surveillance,” said the spokesman.

The royal couple appreciate that their young son will inherit a public role as he grows up – but until then, he should be allowed to lead an ordinary life.

“No parent would tolerate the suspicion of someone pursuing and harassing their child and carer whilst their child is playing in a public park or going about their daily activities,” the spokesman said.

So far, only official photographs have been published in the UK press but it’s understood some foreign publications have published the snaps.

The news comes after the Duchess of Cambridge, nee Kate Middleton, was snapped sunbathing topless at a French villa in 2012 – the pictures of which were not published in the UK, but splashed on the cover of French ‘Closer’ magazine.

The Prince is determined his family should not have to suffer the same press intrusion as his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

And sources say that Prince Harry feels ‘just as strongly’ on the matter and that action must be taken to ensure the privacy of ‘future’ children.

In fact the issue of photographing minors without their parents' consent is a topical issue in the celebrity world too.

Actresses Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry testified in front of the California State Assembly Committee on Public Safety last August, championing a bill aimed at protecting children from the paparazzi.

The bill was signed into law by the Californian government - but children in the public eye, namely offspring of celebrities - are still being harrassed, intimidated and stalked by the press.

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