Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Broke Rules Taking Private Photographer into Palace
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry broke royal protocol by bringing a private photographer into Buckingham Palace without getting permission from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
According to The Telegraph, Meghan and Harry have been accused of sneaking a photographer into the royal residence after an unauthorized image of the couple of them in Buckingham Palace was featured in the trailer for their new Netflix show.
The one-minute-long advert for their new docuseries Harry & Meghan was released on Thursday and shows a series of black-and-white photographs of the couple.
One photograph appears to be taken inside Buckingham Palace and shows the pair walking hand-in-hand towards an exit of Buckingham Palace, where two footmen hold the doors open for them.
The photograph was shot when Meghan and Harry had traveled to Britain in March 2020 for what later became known as their “farewell tour.”
The Queen was reportedly against photos being taken in royal quarters and the couple reportedly never received consent from the late monarch for their personal photographer.
‘Strict Protocol’
According to the regulations outlined by the Royal Collection Trust, there is “strictly” no photography or filming allowed inside Staterooms at Buckingham Palace.
Additionally, any filming or photography within the palace for commercial purposes, meaning it is producing content for a market audience with the intent of making an income, requires permission.
Anyone wishing to film or shoot in the Queen’s home required permission, with “strict protocol” surrounding imagery in what is considered private quarters.
The Telegraph reports that the presence of Meghan’s and Harry’s private photographer was the subject of a written palace complaint at the time, with royal aides noting that the couple had not asked permission to shoot inside the Queen’s home.
“It’s fair to say there was surprise to see there was a photographer,” a source tells The Telegraph. “In usual circumstances, you need permission to take pictures in that area.”
A second source says: “There is very strict protocol about bringing a film crew or photographer. Usually a memo would be sent to the Queen to get approval.”
‘More Photos to Come’
Sources claim there could be more unauthorized photographs to come in the Netflix docuseries, with Meghan and Harry having held events in the Belgian Suite, 1844 room, and staff offices in Buckingham Palace during their farewell tour in March 2020.
The six-part docuseries Harry & Meghan will be released on November 8. It is set to explore the media’s influence on the couple’s relationship with the royal family.
The Netflix trailer also sparked backlash after an image supposedly meant to show Meghan and Harry being hounded by paparazzi was revealed as a stock shot of photographers taken at the Harry Potter premiere years before the couple met.
According to the Mail Online, the picture shows a large number of photographers purportedly fighting for space to take pictures of the couple.
Photo used in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix trailer to show paparazzi hounding them ACTUALLY showed invited photographers at a Harry Potter film premiere https://t.co/LPVYbafLUR
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) December 5, 2022
But they were in fact taking photographs alongside the red carpet at the premiere for the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two in central London — which no royal attended.
The photograph, which appears first under search results for “paparazzi” on the stock image website Alamy, was taken five years before Harry and Meghan were introduced to each other in 2016.
Image credits: All photos by Netflix.
