The British royals can't seem to get a break. Just weeks after snapshots from Prince Harry's naked escapades in Vegas hit the tabloids, a French magazine has published topless photos of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. St. James' Palace confirmed that the images were genuine, taken apparently with a telephoto lens while Middleton and her husband, Prince William, were sunbathing on vacation at a relative's chateau in southern France. A spokesman for the royal family said the Duke and Duchess were "hugely saddened" that the publication, Closer, had "invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner." Middleton and Prince William are reportedly suing Closer for invasion of privacy. The magazine's editor, Laurence Pieau, defended the decision to run the images, saying they're "not in the least shocking." Is the fuss overblown, or has the tabloid press stepped over the line this time?
This is taking invasion of privacy too far: Prince Harry's naked billiard game with strangers... well, he should have seen that one coming, says Steven Baxter at New Statesman. "Kate, on the other hand, is not being drunk, not partying" — she's just sharing a private moment with her husband. This shocking invasion of her privacy has all the pervy "hallmarks of the worst excesses of the paparazzi: The sneaking in bushes, the enormous long lenses, the grainy photos." Even the trashy tabloid press should be ashamed this time.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
