Prince Harry and Meghan's private photos hacked

CHICHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 3: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive for an engagement at Edes House during an official visit to Sussex on October 3, 2018 in Chichester, England. The Duke and Duchess married on May 19th 2018 in Windsor and were conferred The Duke & Duchess of Sussex by The Queen.  (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Private photos of Harry and Meghan have reportedly been leaked online. Photo: Getty

Palace officials have been forced to scramble after private photos of Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle were reportedly leaked online.

But it wasn’t the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who were directly targeted by hackers.

Instead their wedding photographer Alexi Lubomirski has been hacked, with hundreds of private photos taken in May last year stolen in the breach, The Sun reports.

An online compromise

A royal source confirmed to the publication that the palace launched a security probe in an attempt to shut down the leak.

“There was an online compromise,” the source said.

“There was an internal investigation but police weren’t involved. The situation has now been contained.”

It is believed among the images taken were pictures from Harry and Meghan’s wedding and engagement.

The breach is said to have taken place in September last year, but only this month photos marked “preview” started appearing online.

Meghan’s first appearance

The leak has made headlines just as Meghan is expected to make her first ‘official’ appearance since becoming a mum.

She was slated to join the rest of the royals at Trooping the Colour to celebrate the Queen’s birthday tomorrow - Saturday UK time.

TOPSHOT - Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R), and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo with their newborn baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 8, 2019. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski / POOL / AFP)        (Photo credit should read DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan welcomed baby Archie in May. Photo: Getty

The event is one of the most significant in the family’s calendar, highlighted by the whole clan taking their place on Buckingham Palace’s famed balcony as the Queen’s subjects line the streets below.

Also on the day’s agenda is decked-out British pomp and circumstance which includes a carriage parade down London’s Mall and a celebratory RAF fly over.

But while missing out on such a significant family do isn’t typical of notoriously hard working Meghan, she is still in the midst of maternity leave with baby Archie.

Last year Kate Middleton was at a similar point in her maternity leave with Prince Louis when she attended the Queen’s official birthday celebrations.

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