Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Have Filed A Lawsuit To Protect Baby Archie's Privacy

Even after stepping away from their senior royal roles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to struggle with paparazzi. And while they appear to accept that their work in the public eye will naturally bring media attention, they absolutely draw the line when it comes to their 14-month-old son. Just this week, in fact, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry filed a lawsuit to protect Archie's privacy after photos were reportedly taken of him at their Los Angeles, California home.

According to court documents filed by the couple's lawyer and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are suing an unnamed photographer for "serial intrusions on the privacy of a 14-month-old child in his own home, and the desire and responsibility of any parent to do what is necessary to protect their children from this manufactured feeding frenzy."

The photographer has reportedly tried to sell photos of their son to media outlets, which were allegedly shopped around as images taken in public despite the fact that Markle and Prince Harry said they have not brought their son out in public, according to E! News.

"The Plaintiffs have done everything in their power to stay out of the limelight except in connection with their work, which they freely admit is newsworthy," the couple's lawsuit states, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "But the photos at issue are not news. They are not public interest. They are harassment. The sole point to taking and/or selling such invasive photos is to profit from a child."

Markle and Prince Harry have been standing their ground when it comes to their son's privacy since before he was born in May 2019. At the time, they were still senior members of the royal family and broke protocol by choosing to keep the details of their son's birth private. The theme continued with his christening, which is traditionally an event where the media are on hand to take photos of the royal family. They chose instead to release their own photo and keep the day private.

As the British tabloids in particular continued to put pressure on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they took the historically drastic measure of stepping away from their senior royal roles in January to become private citizens. They have since relocated to Markle's hometown of Los Angeles, living in a gated community where they allege in their lawsuit their privacy continues to be invaded on a regular basis. As E! News reported, the lawsuit claims drones and helicopters fly overhead at all hours, waking their neighbors and even their son on occasion.

Still, they will do what it takes to protect Archie's privacy. If they haven't already made that abundantly clear, perhaps this lawsuit will help to clarify.