Royal couple waits on injunction halting topless pics publications

A French court says it will decide tomorrow whether to order an injunction halting further publication of topless photos of Kate Middleton.

The request by Kate and her husband William, the duke of Cambridge, was made after a popular French gossip magazine printed 14 pictures of the partially-clad duchess last week.

The decision came after an hour of arguments by lawyers in Paris for the royal couple and Mondadori, the Italian publishing house that owns the magazine, Closer. A different company publishes the UK version of the magazine.

The duke and duchess have asked France’s criminal prosecutors to consider charging the photographer who took the topless pictures.

William and Kate appeared relaxed as they toured a cultural village exhibition in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, and did not bat an eyelid when they came face to face with a group of topless dancers.

Their appearance came as St James’s Palace confirmed that a criminal complaint over the photographs had been lodged in the morning, with a civil case seeking damages and an injunction preventing launched later in Paris.

“We can confirm that a criminal complaint has been made to the French Prosecution Department today,” said a spokeswoman for St James’s Palace.

“The complaint concerns the taking of photographs of the duke and duchess of Cambridge whilst on holiday and the publication of those photographs in breach of their privacy.”

The legal action comes as Italian magazine Chi, also in the Mondadori stable, pressed ahead and published a 26-page spread of topless photos of Kate despite the legal action in France.

Now the complaint is made, it is up to the French prosecutor to investigate and possibly lay charges over the notorious images published last week in Closer.

The palace has said no decision has been taken on separate legal proceedings in Italy.

French Closer caused outrage when it published the images of the couple enjoying private holiday moments at Chateau d’Autet, near Aix-en-Provence.

The duchess’s distress was increased when Chi announced it would publish more images of the pair on holiday.

Alfonso Signorini, the editor of Chi, which is owned by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, said: “The fact that these are the future rulers of England makes the article more interesting and topical.

“This is a deserving topic because it shows in a completely natural way the daily life of a very famous, young, and modern couple in love.”

French Closer defended publication, saying in a statement: “The photos we selected are by no means degrading. They show a young couple on vacation, beautiful, love, modern in their normal life.”

A source said William and Kate, who are staying overnight on the remote island resort of Tavanipupu in the Solomon Islands, were still at the centre of events and in control of them.

The source said: “For the duke and duchess, it’s very much a case of focusing on the tour, though they are being kept aware of the developments and directing a lot of the developments.”