Update 7/24/2020 – A major development on the artists formally known as Sussex Royal. First reported by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Eriq Gardner, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have filed an invasion of privacy lawsuit against unnamed media today.

Represented by Kylie Jenner’s right hand man, attorney Michael Kump, Harry and Meghan filed the lawsuit citing “extreme measures” paparazzi have been taking to capture stills of their son, Archie.

Specific media outlets or photographers are not mentioned in the suit but Los Angeles Times reveals that this is a strategy developed by Kump. “Because the couple doesn’t know who took the shots, the suit targets unnamed defendants as a way to allow them to pursue, through subpoenas, anyone peddling the photos,” according to the Times.

Kump explains, “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.”

In the state of California, it is illegal to take photographs of individuals in their private homes and other private places using devices such as drones and telephoto lenses. Included in the suit, “The family has tried to ignore these physical and constructive trespasses as best they can, … but the plaintiffs recently learned that certain paparazzi and their enablers have crossed a red line for any parent.” TMZ reported that the specific method was a drone over their backyard. They are also accusing paparazzi of cutting holes in the Duke and Duchess’ fence as they lease Tyler Perry’s home.

According to Kump, the “unscrupulous” photographers took private photos of the family on their property and “have not innocently mislabeled the photographs as having been taken in a public place.” Translation: Paparazzi are blatantly lying about where the photographs were taken to make a quick (big) buck and avoid legal trouble. Allegedly the photos being shopped were taken in “Malibu.” The royal couple states that Archie has not been to Malibu since they moved to the United Stated four months ago. They believe someone used a drone to illegally take photos of their child in their backyard.

Were the couple safer in England? Perhaps. In a 2017 interview with Vogue, one of Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretaries, Dickie Arbiter, explained how the press evolved after the death of Princess Diana, “We have a press regulation in the United Kingdom, which states you cannot photograph children, under the age of 16, without consent of the parents or guardians” In America the laws are not so strict. Lawyers.com explains, “As long as a photographer uses the images for editorial purposes, and if he or she took them while your child was in a public setting, the photographs are generally within the law even if you do not give your consent.” Hence, “Malibu.”

The paparazzi business can not be a lucrative one in the middle of a global pandemic. Crouching outside of Whole Foods market desperately trying to snap celebrities hidden behind a mask. (They won’t be catching them stumbling out of bars at 2am anytime soon.) I imagine that the price tag for a photo of the Sussex family is huge but Harry and Meghan aren’t stupid and at this point, they are simply trying to survive like the rest of us. Leave them alone.

Kinsey Schofield is the Editor-in-Chief of To Di For Daily and you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.