Not Cool: Prince George Is Being Hounded By The Paparazzi

Prince George is an adorable and smiley and well-dressed kid, one who happens to be in line for the throne. He's also just 2 years old, which makes it all the more unacceptable for the paparazzi to be constantly stalking him. (And, yes, the same goes for North West, Blue Ivy, Harper Beckham, and any other celebrity tot who seemingly spends most of their day dodging bullies with cameras.) Now, the royal family is speaking out against the "paparazzi harassment" of the toddler. Kensington Palace shared concerns from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge over their son's safety in a series of tweets posted this morning. "The Duke and Duchess want to extend their thanks for the kind and supportive messages they have received in recent months," the Palace shared. "They have been delighted to share photos of their children and will continue to do so in the months and years ahead... Yet undercover paparazzi continue to pursue their children, selling images of Prince George to international publications." The tweets are accompanied by a link to a letter sent to media leaders detailing the "dangerous" and "distressing" actions the paparazzi are taking to photograph Prince George. "Paparazzi photographers are going to increasingly extreme lengths to observe and monitor Prince George's movements and covertly capture images of him to sell to the handful of international media titles still willing to pay for them," the letter states. "One recent incident — just last week — was disturbing, but not at all uncommon," the statement continues. "A photographer rented a car and parked in a discreet location outside a children's play area. Already concealed by darkened windows, he took the added step of hanging sheets inside the vehicle and created a hide stocked with food and drinks to get him through a full day of surveillance, waiting in hope to capture images of Prince George. Police discovered him lying down in the boot of the vehicle attempting to shoot photos with a long lens through a small gap in his hide." The letter also accuses the paparazzi of using "other children to draw Prince George into view around playgrounds," as well as hiding behind sand dunes. Despicable, right? We can only hope this letter prompts media outlets to stop paying for these photos, and for members of the paparazzi to feel a degree of shame about their invasive actions. No child should have to live like that, and bravo to Will and Kate for speaking out.