Royal family seeks injunction over topless pics

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - William and Kate - are in the Solomon Islands continuing their Far Eastern tour honoring Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne.

(AP) LONDON - Lawyers for Britain's royal family will go to court in France on Monday in a bid to stop further publication in that country of topless photos of William's wife Kate, the prince's office said Sunday, as the owners of an Irish newspaper criticized it for running the pictures.

St. James's Palace said lawyers would seek an injunction in a Paris court against Italian media group Mondadori, which publishes France's Closer and Italy's Chi gossip magazines.

The palace also will seek damages from the publisher, which is owned by former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Last week Closer published paparazzi snaps of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, sunbathing during a holiday at a relative's chateau in Provence. Chi says it will publish 26 pages of the images — taken with a long lens from hundreds of meters (yards) away — on Monday.

The Irish Daily Star reproduced the Closer photos on Saturday, but no British publication has run them, and Britain's tabloids have lined up to denounce them as an invasion of the duchess' privacy.

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The palace condemned publication of the images and said it was considering "all proportionate responses" against Chi, though no decision has been made on legal action against it or the Irish Daily Star.

The strong response stands in contrast to the reception of naked photos of Prince Harry partying in Las Vegas, which appeared online last month and were later published in Britain's Sun tabloid. The palace shrugged off the photos, snapped during a game of strip billiards, and took no action against those who published them.

Some see British papers' reluctance to run the Kate photos as a sign the country's once-rambunctious tabloids have been cowed by a scandal over phone hacking and other wrongdoing, which brought public opprobrium and an ongoing media-ethics inquiry.

The incident also has evoked memories of the paparazzi hounding of William's late mother, Princess Diana. A coroner's inquest found that pursuing photographers were partly responsible for her death in a Paris car crash in August 1997.

In bad news for the Irish Daily Star, both its owners criticized it for publishing the Kate photos.

British company Northern and Shell, which co-owns the tabloid with Ireland's Independent News and Media, or INM, said it was "profoundly dismayed" the Dublin newspaper had run the pictures. Its chief, Richard Desmond, said he planned to pull out of the joint venture that runs the tabloid.

Independent News and Media chief executive Joe Webb offered his "deepest apologies," and said the company would be "launching an internal inquiry to ensure there will never be a repeat of this breach of decency." But Webb said in a statement he hopes to preserve the Irish Daily Star and its 70 employees.

The storm over the photos erupted as William and Kate made an official tour of Singapore, Malaysia and the South Pacific. They arrived in the Solomon Islands on Sunday and will end their trip Tuesday in the island nation of Tuvalu.

[rider1956]

I think that most everyone forgets about the old Greek myth about 'Pandora's Box'. We always want to open it, because we think that happiness is in there. And then we cry fowl when both 'virtue' and 'vice' escapes.

[yarnplay]

In this case, as in the case of P. Harry, it would seem that Brit. security could use a tech tune up and they should stop relying on "good will and laws" to protect their charges. Perhaps they should contact "Q" for tech toys. Seriously, whether the photos are embarassing or not, security should not have been surprised that pictures could be taken. These past few weeks may be a wake up call for all security details.

[dkcjlc]

The Royal's need to shrug and forget it. There is nothing "scandalous" about topless sunbathing nor should everyone freak out over the sight of a woman's breasts. It is only our prudish society that makes this an issue at all.

[rider1956]

She was in complete control of these images - before the fact. She gave her control away by the fact. It was her choice.

[matt6052]

Like Prince Harry, Duchess Kate will have to serve a tour of duty in Afghanistan. It's the only fair solution.

[Goldwater64s6]

Makes me want a fried egg sandwich.

[geography20122]

HI ARROGANT ****..CALL ME MAYBE!

[geography20122]

WIKKI LEAKS IN ACTION..ARROGANCE NUDITY SHOTS OVER THREE YEARS OLD..BEFORE WEDDING..RICH PARADE FRIENDSHIP NUDITY TO ANYONE WILLING TO LOOK..THIS IS PUBLICITY STUNT..THEY KNEW OF..FROM ROADSIDE VIEWERS ADMIRATION>>NO DANGER HERE FROM FLAUNTING JACKASS>BRAYING TO BE NOTICED!!

[tiredofthemall]

don't think it's even that she's topless in the photos - it's the fact that privacy was invaded. don't care about the "royalty", but if it was ME i'd be offended. kind of intrusive. that said - topless isn't a crime, nor should it be such a big deal - to anyone. get a life photogs

[AOCGUY]

Well if you expose yourself in public expect to be noticed. Now if she was in her back yard then that would be an invasion of privacy but when you do it in public not so much or at all

[tiredofthemall]

"sunbathing during a holiday at a relative's chateau in Provence" is what the story said - kind of figured that as a private not public place.

[bobertbobert]

This is a lot of fuss over nothing! Before she and Bill got married she went topless on a sailboat and the Palace didn't get mad, why now? She really hasn't got anything to hide just another flat-chested gal with pretentions of importance.