Kensington Palace has released a statement on behalf of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge following the judgment made in a French court awarding the couple significant damages following topless photos being published of the Duchess in 2012.
The court this afternoon ordered Closer magazine to pay €100,000 in damages following the publication of the intrusive pictures in the French publication almost five years ago.
The French magazine’s Editor, Laurence Pieau, and owner, Ernesto Mauri, must also each pay fines of €45,000 – the maximum penalty the court could award.
In a statement, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased that the court has found in their favour and the matter is now closed.
“This incident was a serious breach of privacy, and Their Royal Highnesses felt it essential to pursue all legal remedies.
“They wished to make the point strongly that this kind of unjustified intrusion should not happen.”
They were then published across the front and inside pages of Closer magazine alongside an article with the headline “Oh my God!”
The photos showed the Duchess of Cambridge topless with the Duke of Cambridge putting suncream on her. They were on the terrace of a private chateau owned by the Earl of Snowdon, the Queen’s nephew.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launched legal proceedings soon after the photos were published and the photos were banned from further reproduction.
An investigation was also launched into how the images were obtained, but this did not stop the photos from appearing in several other European magazines.
British newspapers rejected approaches to buy the photos, hence they were eventually sold to European publications.
Greetings,
For anyone who bothers to read this – as far I am concerned I am sick to death of the Pampered, sulky and petulant Bill Middleton and his equally self important wife.
For years they have “courted” the Press when it suits them. Yet sued the Press when it supposedly offended them.
Well these two leeches cannot have it both ways. They are a pair of hypocrites, relying on being plastered all over the papers when a pregnancy is needed to up their bad PR and then claim intrusion in the next breath.
I will NEVER read another article about these two vain, money grubbing and work avoiding grifters.
You have just lost a long time MONARCHIST and you have your precious kate middleton and bill the whinger to thank for it.
Enjoy your life because I will enjoy mine, as I will no longer be wasting money on a magazine or newspaper again that has anything to do with thie pathetic family on it again. This is it for me.
Done and dusted.
maybe they will give the money away to Some needy charity or they might buy the new baby a lovely new cot and a golden fleece …..
Oh thank god, thats one less we have to be concerned with. Anytime Ma’am night or day.