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Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle banned from private members club for breaking ‘no photo’ rule? Here's the truth

It was claimed that the pair was banned from the $4,200-per-year San Vicente Bungalows for arranging paparazzi shots of when they arrived and departed

Published on: Jul 25, 2023, 13:22:48 IST
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not been banned from an exclusive private members club in Los Angeles, as earlier reports claimed. It was claimed last month that the pair was banned from the $4,200-per-year San Vicente Bungalows for arranging paparazzi shots of when they arrived and departed. It was alleged that this could have invaded the privacy of other guests.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak during the 2021 Global Citizen Live festival at the Great Lawn, Central Park on September 25, 2021 in New York City (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (AFP)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak during the 2021 Global Citizen Live festival at the Great Lawn, Central Park on September 25, 2021 in New York City (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (AFP)

A source close to the celebrity hideaway, however, has now refuted claims that there was any publicity setup. A separate private members club in Montecito may have been the source of the speculation, but there is no confirmation regarding the same.

As per San Vicente Bungalows’ privacy policy, taking photographs inside the club is forbidden. Oftentimes stickers are placed over camera phone lenses. Further, it is "strictly forbidden" for members and guests to discuss what they witness during the event. Earlier this year, Harry and Meghan were snapped by a paparazzi photographer outside the club.

Paparazzi who regularly snaps Meghan Markle reveals tactic to photograph celebrities

A paparazzi member who photographs Meghan regularly has boasted about the method she uses to avoid being caught while taking photos of celebrities. The most recent photo of Meghan that the pap, Jill Ishkanian, took is just a few days old. On July 14, she photographed Meghan at a Montecito flower market.

ill has now revealed that she uses her gender to get close to celebrities to snap them. "On the first pictures I took of her [Meghan] she smiled at me and she thought 'she's a woman’,” Jill said, according to GBNews. “Everyone talks about equal rights and I'll tell you what, I have even more power as a woman than a male paparazzi because they don't think I'm anything. So I picked up my iPhone, I knew if I picked up a big camera, she's trouble."

Jill told Newsweek that since her mother is local to an area in Montecito where Meghan and Prince Harry are based. Jill, therefore, spends a lot of time there.

Jill opened up on how she took Meghan’s latest photo. "I saw a pink and white striped golf cart with Katy Perry's dad holding flowers standing next to it talking to someone,” Jill said.

She continued, "I said 'Oh my God, here's my chance to get Katy Perry's dad.' So I flipped the car around. I was trying to cross to go into a parking area and this big guy in a blue shirt was in front of my car and then he backed away. Then he flipped his hand and said go ahead. This was Meghan's bodyguard that I was talking to.”

"I come up and I see Katy Perry's dad and I look and there's a woman who looks like Meghan Markle standing next to him,” Jill added. "I start taking pictures and here comes the blue shirt guy, big guy, and I realise that's her bodyguard and absolutely that's her."

Meghan and Harry previously said that they were in a "near catastrophic" car chase involving paps earlier this year.

  • Sumanti Sen
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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