The Sussexes' latest official statement has drawn sharp rebuke after a spokesperson linked paparazzi presence outside Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's school to the recent anti-terror operation near RAF Fairford. The comparison was branded "nonsense," "shameless" and "ridiculous" by former Head of Royal Protection Dai Davis.
The statement came after European photographers were seen near the school grounds, an intrusion that the couple's team sought to connect to the major security incident in which anti-terror police swooped in and US President Donald Trump issued public statements.
Children's safety acknowledged but comparison condemned
The safety and privacy of young children at school are non-negotiable, and no parents - royal or otherwise - should have to worry about paparazzi or suspicious individuals lurking around the school perimeter. The actions of those European photographers deserve firm condemnation.
However, bringing an ongoing, high-level anti-terror investigation into a dispute over European paparazzi is "not just a reach - it is a jaw-dropping lack of judgment," the article argues. Comparing paparazzi looking for a tabloid photo to a serious counter-terrorism operation "borders on the absurd."
Criticism from royal author
Royal author Robert Jobson noted how these inflated security dramas appear increasingly calculated to influence Ravec, the committee responsible for royal protection in the UK. Rather than letting private security handle the paparazzi or filing a direct legal complaint against the media agency involved, the couple chose a grandiose public statement that cheapens genuine security concerns.
The article concludes that while children's privacy matters, not every incident in the Sussexes' lives is a matter of international state security, and using a serious national security event near a military base to amplify a personal feud with the paparazzi is deeply embarrassing.
