The royal family filed a criminal complaint Monday against the French magazine Closer for publishing several images of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, sunbathing topless.
The same day, additional images of a topless Catherine were released, this time by the Italian gossip magazine Chi. First, is this news all that surprising? Look at the publications in question — gossip magazines. Prying into the royals’ lives is what they do. Does that mean it’s right? No, but that’s a topic for another debate.
However, in this situation, the photographers invaded the Duchess’s privacy. Catherine was sunbathing on private property, outside a relative’s château in southern France. If she had been stretched out on a public beach somewhere, then the magazines would have a case.
Then again, doesn’t Catherine know she is in the public eye? Did she really think that the paparazzi had left her completely alone? She shouldn’t have.
The Duchess should really take a lesson from the late Princess of Wales, Diana. The paparazzi are relentless. They will follow you on your French vacation, and they will most certainly snap pictures of you sunbathing.
Though many Europeans choose to sunbath topless, royals are expected to maintain particularly high levels of decorum. Baring her breasts outdoors doesn’t seem like appropriate behavior for a duchess.
Finally, it is interesting to review the media’s coverage of this story. Numerous publications have called Catherine’s invaded privacy the shock factor. However, the public was probably more shocked to see the duchess topless.
It will be interesting to see how the royals’ case pans out. This event serves as a reminder to royalty and other individuals held in the spotlight, that nothing they say or do is private.
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