A French magazine is claiming to have topless photos of Duchess of Cambridge – and have published them. Prince William and Dutchess Katherine have now commenced legal proceedings against the magazine for breach of privacy.
Under French law, anyone who is in France is protected by the nation’s privacy statutes and so it is understood that Kate and William have good grounds for seeking legal redress because they never gave permission for the photos to be taken or published.
French laws could see the publisher or editor of the magazine serving a short term in prison or a fine of up to €45,000.
It’s the latest headache for the royal family, who just a few weeks ago had to deal with pictures of a very naked Harry having a whole lot of naked fun in Vegas.
This from the Sydney Morning Herald:
[The French magazine Closer's] website showed an image of the front cover with the Duchess apparently about to remove her bikini top.
The pictures were allegedly taken while Kate was on holiday with her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, in France last week.
The couple were staying in Provence at a chateau owned by Lord Linley, the Queen’s nephew, ahead of their Diamond Jubilee tour of south-east Asia and the South Pacific on behalf of the Queen.Mail Online quoted a royal source as saying: “It is impossible to tell at this stage whether the photographs are genuine or indeed purport to show what the magazine claims, so we are having to wait and see what transpires.”
The Australian reports that royal sources are shocked and saddened by the publication of the photos. No doubt their minds are being cast back to the obscene breaches of privacy that William’s late mother, Princess Diana had to endure.
Our take? We’re FAR more interested in a fully dressed Kate Middleton – because she has some of the best fashion sense going round. See for yourself:

Kate Middleton at a Scouts ceremony at Windsor Castle







Comments
40 Comments so far
Obviously it’s an invasion of privacy and awful for Kate. If it breaks French law, then they should definitely sue.
HOWEVER, given that the paps love the royal family, I think the smart assumption would be that unless the curtains are drawn and the door is locked, someone could be watching (and photographing you). Maybe don’t sunbathe topless. I enjoy being topless as much as anyone else does (maybe more), but I’m too scared to even fo into my backyard topless, just in case one of the neighbours happens to see over the 2m fence & trees.
Also, I really hope she wasn’t actually sunbathing topless because of, you know, skin cancer and sunbathing being a touch reckless.
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My take on this is fairly simple. Those who were/are involved in this, that includes the photographer, the magazine editors/publishers/whoever else is involved in printing and distributing magazines AND those who are buying it for these pictures need to a) seriously re-think their priorities and b) grow up. It is so completely irrelevant to anything. There are actual problems in the world at the moment that need media attention. Leave Kate alone, for goodness sakes.
Also, it is never ok for this to happen. The photographer should be ashamed of himself.
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Gosh, this is all terribly precious – there are REAL problems in the world. Although this was doubtlessly a gross invasion of privacy, Kate knew what she was signing up for and should have been smart enough to keep her top on.
Agree with the below commentator that she dresses way too old for her age – give me Mary any day!
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It’s interesting that when Prince Harry was photographed naked in a room full of strangers with camera phones it was just dismissed a a young guy having some fun. But when Kate gets her top off on private property she is labelled a silly girl who should know better. Double standards?
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Absolutely!
I see an Irish newspaper is going to publish the pictures now. That’s three little rags who think their readers will benefit from seeing a young womans exposed breasts.
I feel incredibly sorry for her. She’s got a whole lifetime of this sort of scrutiny ahead of her. Who’d be a royal? Doesn’t seem all that much fun to me.
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Kate’s fashion bores me. She dresses like a nanna
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I disagree. I think we’re so used to women her age dressing like trash (Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, etc) when we see someone who is stylish and elegant we think she’s old fashioned.
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Absolutely agree, chillax. Kate is pure class.
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If someone was taking pics of me topless in my backyard I’d call the police to report a peeping Tom. Why should it be different for her?
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Agree! Agree! Agree! Have some respect for the woman!
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What a vile invasion of privacy.
Lets not forget that one of our more trash weekly Australian mags published a photo of them on their honeymoon.
This latest episode though, makes that look like a tea party.
They do enough work in the public eye, and there are enough opportunities for them to be photographed, why should their private lives become fodder for the masses as well?
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Omg she was topless in front of her husband…. Shocking.!
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And the staff, and the security, and any other hangers on who were there….
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Maybe the royals should stop visting France – nothing good seems to happen to them there.
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I don’t quite get why she is a fashion icon. She is gorgeous and he wears some stunning outfits for sure but mostly I think she dresses too old for her age. Sorry.
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If they’d been at a beach or by a hotel pool (or even in a hotel room with strangers) I’d say, ‘Silly girl’. But it was a private house, owned by family. I think it’s outrageous. Photos taken out and about are one thing, on private property on private time is another. Although, as another commenter said below, if someone can take a shot with a camera, they can take a shot with a rifle. Sad.
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Wow your last comment is right and very scary.
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It is never ok for a stranger to stalk a young woman in this manner, She is NOT a celebrity she was on holiday as private person. Saying she is naive to expect privacy on a private holiday is saying that she has less rights than the rights I have. I have the right not have pictures of me taken by a stranger and published.
People complain when well known people behave as if the world revolves around them, when they drive without a licence or “forget” to return jewelery “borrowed” for a function, but when they ask for the same rights as we have they are also slammed.
Poor Kate, she can’t win.
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I agree Vanessa, well put. Also, it’s quite common to go topless in Europe, in public, on the beach, so I don’t see why Kate should miss out on the fun (particularly given she was on a private property!)
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She’s not a celebrity but she is a public figure as a member of the British Royal Family. And she is one of the most recognised and adored women on the planet.
She does deserve privacy, like everyone does, but in her position, she was being niave to think that a grub with a camera wouldnt be watching her to make money out of his photos. I wouldnt sunbake topless in my backyard because I wouldnt want the next door neighbours to see me and thats barely possible because we have hedges everywhere. Not a risk I’m prepared to take and the paparazzi have zero interest in me. I think it was far too risky and a poor lapse of judgement. I do hope they succesfully sue though.
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did you see how far away the shot was taken from? Like, miles away. It really was a very private country estate. you woult have dreamed anyone could see you.
What’s next, papparazzi satellite photos?
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Sure, the photos were taken from a long way away. It was a hideous invasion of her privacy and illegal and they deserve whatever consequences follow.
However, she signed up for life as a member of the royal family, a life that comes with enormous privelege and losing a degree of privacy is part of that cost for the life of incredible wealth and luxury. Her behaviour has to be beyond reproach at all times because unfortunately there will be grubs waiting to take photos of her.
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I’m not sure what you think the word celebrity means, but she is definitely one. I certainly feel for her that her privacy is constantly invaded – not just through photographs, but through people constantly hassling her on the street, prying into her life, etc. But remember that she wasn’t born into this – she chose this. She was exposed to it for 8 years before she agreed to marry into it. And it also has a huge number of benefits in terms of money, comfort, travel, access, power, etc etc. So she can’t sun bake topless without someone taking a photo – that’s what she signed up for, and I’m sure she thinks the benefits outweigh that negative.
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But you do realise that what the photographer did broke French law. You can’t expect that because she is a celebrity that she has agreed for people to be able to break the law to photograph her!
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If someone can stalk her and shoot her with a long lens camera they can do the same with a rifle. With recent attacks aimed at Harry and the predicted souring of the Abrab Spring, security had better do what they’re paid to do.
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On the one hand it’s despicable that someone totally invisible to Kate and William could have taken these photos, let alone that a magazine should publish them. But surely she KNOWS that topless pictures of her would be treated this way, and that being a royal she should never assume complete privacy when outdoors. I feel for, but also feel it’s a bit naive for her to have gone topless in the first place.
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She is a celerity, if she doesn’t want a picture taken topless, then she shouldn’t take her top off. Seriously people, she should know there would be someone with a camera out there looking to make money!
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I really hate to be pedantic but her correct name and title is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, NOT Dutchess (sic) Katherine (sic).
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I think it was incredibly naive of them to think they wouldnt be snapped. That said, they were on a private holiday in a private home. The person who took the photos would under any other circumstances be labelled a peeping tom and the Police called in.
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A good lesson as to why you shouldn’t get naked in public.
No one to blame but herself.
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Semi naked on private property.
Bet you’d feel differently if it was you or yours.
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It’s funny how when a someone like Scarlett Johansenn or Rihanna has photos hacked from their phones 90% of the comments on the internet are about how stupid they were to take the photos the first place. No ones that fussed about the illegal breach of privacy.
But when a duchess, someone we view as classy, takes her top of in a public area in broad daylight, she’s blameless.
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They were on private property: The Viscount’s chateau. The photographer stood a half mile away on the road and used a long lens camera to take the photos.
This is very different to someone taking nude shots of themselves and keeping them on their phones.
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I for one never saw Kate Middleton as classy – just ambitious, like her family – and she’s pulled it off. The past 18 months have been spent transforming herself into ‘classy’.
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Her fashion choices are classy and she has been conducting herself so well up until now. I dont think though her decision to sunbake topless is the action of a classy woman.
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She is stunning! I love that she is becoming more daring with her fashion choices. That was always one of the best things about Diana – her unique style and daring.
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She has breasts – who cares?
So do most women.
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She wasn’t doing anything illegal and seriously, being topless in the south of France is just what you do!! My only question is has anybody checked these photos for her supposed bump???
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They absolutely should sue !
I hope that the payout that the mag has to fork out is massive. No doubt a charity or two will benefit as a result.
Screw the papps !
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There is NO public interest in having these photos published. Who cares if she bared her breasts in front of her HUSBAND?
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