TORONTO -- Despite their long lens, visiting paparazzi have had difficulty snapping photographs of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan in their new home on Vancouver Island due, in part, to the reluctance of water taxi owners to transport them.
Island Water Taxi owner Reg Kirkham said heâs refused several requests from members of the media in recent weeks who wished to tour the area for a glimpse of the royal couple.
âWeâre just not believers in invading peopleâs privacy, especially Harry and Meghan and what theyâre going through,â he told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Friday. âThey donât need to be bothered.â
Kirkham, who operates his private charter in the Gulf Islands, which is located between Vancouver Island and mainland B.C., said heâs not the only one turning down potential customers out of respect for the Duke and Duchess of Sussexâs privacy.
âIâve had other business fellows who charter boats who have had calls also, and we arenât available,â he said. âWeâre a very small-type community so we donât like strangers just hanging out in bushes with cameras and stuff like that.â
Kirkham, who lives in the small seaside town of Sidney, B.C. on Vancouver Island, described the areaâs residents as tight-knit, but considerate of each otherâs space.
âWeâre one of the most beautiful places in the world. Weâre safe and weâre quiet and we just do our own thing,â he explained. âWe have a very high-profile wealthy neighbourhood with multi-billionaire islands and all these things, but we all just work together to look after each other.â
Prince Harry, Meghan and their baby Archie have been temporarily living at a luxurious waterfront mansion in North Saanich since December when they opted to spend the holidays there instead of in England with the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family.
In early January, the couple came under intense media scrutiny with reporters from around the world descending on Vancouver Island in the wake of the coupleâs bombshell announcement they would be stepping back from official royal duties and splitting their time in Canada and the U.K.
Kirkham said itâs been a âbusy timeâ in the area for everyone because of their new famous neighbours.
Anne Girling, a resident on the island, said she met the Duchess of Sussex while she was out jogging on a nature trail and they wished each other âGood morning.â She said sheâs opposed to the intense intrusions by the media.
âWe donât like it. Leave them in peace,â she told AFP in January.
Another resident, Sue Starkey, said sheâs âproudâ that her neighbourhood has been respectful of the royalsâ privacy.
âI'm really happy they're here and I hope they can find some peace,â she told AFP.
While Kirkham said he has a relative who âbumpedâ into Meghan while on a walk in the neighbourhood, he said he hasnât spotted the royals himself and he doesnât have any plans to try to catch a glimpse of them, either.
âI havenât even driven through the neighborhood because Iâve been here 45 years. I know the neighbourhood. Iâm not looking for that type of excitement,â he said.
With files from Agence France-Presse