Paparazzi forced Duke and Duchess from home
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex were forced to move out of their Cotswolds hideaway after a paparazzi helicopter swooped over to take intrusive pictures, a court heard yesterday.
The Grade II listed farmhouse, tucked away in four acres of private land in Oxfordshire, was rented by the Duke and Duchess as they prepared for the arrival of their first child.
However, their plans for a life of rural solitude were dealt a blow when the location was made public on Jan 9, prompting a news agency to hire a helicopter to investigate.
Splash News and Pictures flew at a “low altitude” to take pictures and video, which gave a view directly into the bedroom, a privacy case launched by the Duke claimed.
The pictures were published by various news outlets in both print and online on Jan 11 in a move said to have “very seriously undermined” the couple’s security. Details of their hasty departure came as legal action concluded at the High Court yesterday. Lawyer Gerrard Tyrrell said the Duke and Duchess were “no longer” able to live in the house following the disclosure.
He told the court that the “paparazzi agency” had misused private information, breached the Duke’s right to privacy, GDPR laws and the Data Protection Act. Splash has since apologised and agreed to pay “substantial” damages and legal costs, according to a prepared statement read to the court.
Mr Tyrrell said: “The helicopter flew over the home at a low altitude, allowing Splash to take photos of and into the living area and dining area of the home and directly into the bedroom.” The Duke and Duchess spent time in the Cotswolds while Frogmore Cottage, their new home in Windsor, underwent a £3 million renovation.
Mr Tyrrell said: “The photographs were taken for commercial gain and syndicated for that purpose. The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property.”
The pictures were subsequently withdrawn from sale by Splash, which also agreed not to use “any aerial means” to take pictures of the Duke’s private home again.
The Duke later acknowledged and welcomed the formal apology. It was claimed that all damages were donated to charity.
A spokesman for Splash News said: “Splash has always recognised that this situation represents an error of judgment and we have taken steps to ensure it will not be repeated. We apologise to the Duke and Duchess for the distress we have caused.”
The couple have since moved to Frogmore Cottage, where they will raise their son Archie. They have taken steps to further safeguard the baby’s privacy by choosing not to release his birth certificate.
♦ The Prince of Wales is believed to have finally met his new grandson after a reported visit to Frogmore Cottage to meet Archie Harrison Mountbattenwindsor last night.
The Duchess gave birth nearly two weeks ago on May 6. According to Hello! magazine, the Prince was due to meet Archie at the Duke and Duchess’s home.
It was not known if the Duchess of Cornwall, his wife, was with him. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met the newborn for the first time last Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also met Archie.