Meghan And Harry Just Scored A Big Win In Court

This year has forced Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to make some difficult decisions for the sake of their family. These big decisions began at the start of 2020 when they two announced their plan to step back from their duties as senior royals within the Royal Family at the end of March. Markle has notoriously struggled with adapting to British royal life, and in a 2019 interview confessed the challenges that she has faced in her new role. "I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a 'stiff upper lip'—I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging," she said (via Vanity Fair). Unfortunately though, the challenges haven't disappeared since she and Harry stepped down.

The royal couple has taken to the courts to dispute a British paparazzi agency that had taken photos of Markle and her young son, Archie, while they reportedly were out for a walk near their home on Vancouver Island, Canada (via Marie Claire). The family decided to take legal action over these pictures.

The paparazzi in question is Splash News and Picture Agency, which were accused of "unlawfully invading" the family's privacy, as declared by Markle's lawyer, Jenny Afia. These particular photos, according to Afia, were taken "on a private family outing in a remote rural setting and there was no public interest in the photographs" (via The Guardian)

The case has since settled, and it was decided that Splash News UK will no longer take any photos of Meghan, Archie, or Harry. The statement read to the court went as follows: "The administrators of Splash UK have undertaken that, should the entity come out of administration, Splash UK will not take any photographs of the duke and duchess or their son in the future." In addition, the sister agency, Splash US, is simultaneously enduring a similar claim that is reportedly "still in motion" (via Maire Claire).

In October of 2019, the family pressed charges against the US news agency X17, a popular celebrity gossip media outlet. They allegedly used drones to photograph the young Archie during a family vacation in LA. The Sussexes were issued an apology that said, "We apologise to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son for the distress we have caused. We were wrong to offer these photographs and commit to not doing so again" (via BBC). This incident was also deemed an invasion of privacy, and the photos were required to be handed over and subsequently destroyed, including all copies. Their lawyer at the time, Michael Kump, said in response to the apology and destruction of photos, "This is a successful outcome. All families have a right, protected by law, to feel safe and secure at home."