Prince William and pregnant Kate Middleton have reportedly won their lawsuit against French tabloid magazine Closer. The publication was ordered to pay $120,000 in damages for publishing topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge. A French court also ordered Closer magazine’s editor and owner to each pay about $53,000 as well.
The scandalous photos of Kate Middleton were taken with a long lens back in 2012. The pics showed the Duchess topless and bottomless on a balcony of a private resident in the south of France. At the time, Magazine editor Laurence Pieau defended his publication by saying Kate’s naked photos were not in the least shocking. But the British royal family didn’t see it this way. A lawyer for the Duke and Duchess said that the couple suffered a grotesque breach of privacy and that they felt “violated during a highly intimate moment during a scene of their married life.”
The scandalous photos were also reproduced by other publications in Italy, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. For the Duchess of Cambridge, there’s no doubt that she is feeling a huge sense of relief now that she can put this case behind her. It’s caused her enough embarrassment as it is. After all, she is married to the future King of England. And if there’s one thing that Queen Elizabeth can’t stand, it’s seeing the royal family make scandalous headlines. While the Duchess has had her fair share of public wardrobe malfunctions, she’s managed to keep her body covered for the most part. Her life is already stressful behind palace doors as it is.
So far neither Prince William nor Kate Middleton have made any comments about the settlement. Although at this point, there’s a very small chance that they will. Instead, Kate wants to focus on moving on with her life. After all, she’s pregnant with the couple’s third child and she needs to prepare Prince George for his first day of school later this week.
Prince William is also getting ready for his new life as a full-time royal. For the Duke of Cambridge, his main concern is making sure that his family is always safe and out of harm’s way. He also wants to make sure that the paparazzi will keep their distance from his wife and their children.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check back with CDL for all the latest news on Prince William and Kate Middleton along with the entire royal family right here!
Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth- WPA Pool/Getty Images