A French court has ruled in favor of the Prince William and Kate Middleton’s criminal complaint seeking to stop the printing and distributing of topless pictures of Kate. The complaint was filed on Monday and the court’s ruling was issued on Tuesday.
According to reports, the court has ordered Closer magazine to stop all printing of the photographs and the issue featuring them. The pictures must also be removed from Closer’s website and the originals given to the royals by Wednesday. Closer is also prohibited from selling the pictures and all French publications are banned from reprinting the photos.
A royal spokesperson said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge “welcome the judge’s ruling.”
The couple’s legal battle is far from over. They also plan to seek damages from Closer and take legal action against the photographer who took the pictures. Authorities are currently in the process of identifying the photographer.
The Duke and Duchess have yet to take any legal action against The Irish Daily Star and the Italian magazine Chi for reprinting the pictures.
The pictures in question show Middleton sunbathing topless with Prince William during their vacation at a private French chateau. In a statement released Friday, the palace called the taking and publishing of the photos a "grotesque and totally unjustifiable" invasion of the couple's privacy.
"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," a St. James Palace spokesperson said. "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.”
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