William and Kate Sue Re: Nude Photos

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton will file a criminal complaint against a French magazine for publishing nude photos of Kate which were taken while they were on a private holiday. 

Closet Magazine recently published pictures of Kate Middleton sunbathing topless  while she and William were holidaying on a private estate in France.
 
A spokesmen for the palace said the royal couple are furious because paparazzi took the photographs without Kate or William's  knowledge or consent. 

" It is unthinkable that anyone should take such pictures, let alone publish them," he said.

 St Jame's Palace confirmed on Friday afternoon that William and Kate will sue the magazine for what's called "breach of privacy" - where they feel their privacy has been invaded. 

Royal lawyers working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are going to court to try and stop any more private photos of Kate being published.

The pictures of Kate sunbathing without her bikini top on have been published in two European magazines, one foreign newspaper.  They have not been published in the United Kingdom. 

The lawyers  will ask for the photographer to be caught and charged, as well as getting the magazines removed from the shops. 


A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, says Cameron believes the royal couple are "entitled to their privacy."
 
Princess Diana's Death brought Respect for Privacy
 
The British press has been very careful about respecting the royals' privacy ever following the death of the prince's mother, Diana Princess of Wales, in Paris 15 years ago while being pursued by paparazzi on motorbikes.

The topless photos of Kate  were probably inspired by a British tabloid's recent publication of Prince Harry naked at a party in Las Vegas, said Caroline Jan, a media lawyer from Britain. 

She added that the Kate Middleton photos are a sign that the French public's demand for gossip is bringing back the idea that is it acceptable to invade the privacy of popular young royals. .

The publicity briefly affected the couple's tour of the Far East and South Pacific  to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.  

BC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, traveling with the royal couple, said Prince William looked furious as they left Malaysia. 

"He is absolutely determined to protect the privacy of his wife; he has always been very protective of her and that anger has mounted during the day."

Laurence Pieau, the editor in chief of the magazine that first published the photos has said,  "there is nothing shocking” about the photos. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like you see millions of at the beach.”

Privacy lawsuits against French tabloids are common and are usually resolved with damage awards of between 1,000 euros ($1,300) and 15,000 euros, as well as printed notices telling readers the tabloid was condemned in court, said Christophe Bigot, a Paris-based media lawyer who doesn't represent the magazine. 

French privacy fines are set “based on personal suffering, and traditionally French judges assess these fines much lower than Anglo-Saxon judges,” Bigot said. 

Since Middleton was hidden from view, her award would probably be in the higher range, as much as 10,000 euros, though there is no specific limit to such awards, he said. 

Meanwhile , despite their recent problems with the media  Kate Middleton and Prince William  looked as cheerful as ever as they continued their tour and arrived in the Honiara International Airport in the Solomon Islands September 16. 

adapted from articles on the BBC, AP, The Telegram, the New York Times 

STUDENT ACTIVITIES 

• Take a short comprehension quiz on the reading. 

•  Then, watch the video called Paparazzi by Lady Gaga

• Finally - write a comment about  what YOU think about invading the privacy of famous people. 

•  IN YOUR OPINION does the the media (paparazzi) have the right to pursue and photograph celebrities and royalty in the privacy of their own homes or holiday spots?