Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have begun legal action in Los Angeles after drones were allegedly used to take pictures of their 14-month-old son Archie.
A complaint filed at the Los Angeles County Superior Court claims an unnamed individual photographed Archie at their home during lockdown.
The couple are claiming the pictures were an invasion of privacy.
The couple's lawyer, Michael Kump, said: "Every individual and family member in California is guaranteed by law the right to privacy in their home. No drones, helicopters or telephoto lenses can take away that right.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are filing this lawsuit to protect their young son's right to privacy in their home without intrusion by photographers, and to uncover and stop those who seek to profit from these illegal actions."
The couple are constantly tracked by paparazzi, the lawsuit alleges, who have tracked them down to their home in Los Angeles, flying helicopters overheard and cutting holes in their security fences.
"The couple recently learned that someone is shopping photographs of their 14-month-old son, Archie, falsely claiming to have taken them on a 'recent' public outing 'in Malibu,'" the complaint, filed for invasion of privacy, said.
"But Archie has not been in public, let alone in Malibu, since the family arrived" in California, the lawsuit said, noting that the snapshots were actually taken during "activities in the backyard of the residence, unbeknownst" to the couple.
The couple say they expect to be followed when they go out in public but state that "certain paparazzi and enablers have crossed a red line".
"The plaintiffs will not allow the tabloids to break the law, especially when it involves intimidation, harassment and the addition of a very real security threat on top of what already exists," the complaint said.
Additional reporting AFP
