The Duchess Kate Middleton seems to have pulled off a Harry as topless photos from her vacation with husband Prince William were printed in a French magazine on Friday.
On Friday, the Closer magazine ran blurry, long-lens shots of Middleton which were taken while she and Prince William were vacationing in the south of France in Provence last week. The royal couple was staying at a private chateau, but that didn't stop paparazzi from snapping photos of the couple that thought their privacy was protected.
On Thursday evening, the editor-in-chief of Closer, Laurence Pieau peaked fans interests as he hinted at what was to come on Friday's issue of the magazine on Twitter.
"The world exclusive of #closer tomorrow is Kate Middleton as you have never seen her ... and as you will never see her again," Pieau wrote.
The photos were then printed and released in the magazine on Friday.
The Royal family is deeply upset over the invasion of privacy and the publication of the photos.
A stastement from St. James' Palace in London reads:
"Their Royal Highnesses have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner.
The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so.
Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them."
Officials are now looking into taking legal action and are trying to determine what actions can be taken on behalf of Middleton and Prince William.
Much like in the scandal of Prince Harry getting naked in Las Vegas, the photos will likely not be published in the British media, but it won't be long before curious people will start to find them on the internet. At this moment, Closer's website has not published the photos aside from their blurred out cover.
The Duke and Duchess are currently on an official tour of south-east Asia. Middleton recently gave her first international public speech while on the tour, for which she received high praise. The couple were told about the photos while they were enjoying breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday.
The couple is on a nine-day international tour in Asia. They will be in Malaysia until Sunday and will then head to the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
