A French publication, Paris Match, has publicly admitted to violating the privacy of Prince William and Catherine during their recent French getaway. This marks another significant legal triumph for the royals in their ongoing efforts to combat intrusive photography.
The royal couple initiated legal action against the magazine, seeking damages, after it published unsolicited paparazzi images of them and their three children enjoying an Alpine ski holiday last April. These photographs captured William, wine bottle in hand, and Catherine on the balcony of a ski lodge in the glamorous French resort of Courchevel.
Kensington Palace, the couple’s official residence, announced on Thursday that their legal representative informed a French judge of their willingness to withdraw the compensation claim. This offer was contingent on Paris Match publishing a formal judicial notice, acknowledging the privacy breach in what the palace condemned as a “grossly intrusive article.”
The required notice, featured in French in the magazine’s current issue, confirms a court’s finding that the article and accompanying photos, both in print and online versions of Paris Match, “infringed upon the respect due to their private life and the rights the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children possess over their image.”
This judgment is the latest in a series of confrontations between the British monarchy and French media regarding privacy issues. Previously, in 2017, Catherine was awarded 100,000 euros, or about $119,000 at the time, after she successfully suing another French publication for publishing intimate, long-lens photos of her sunbathing topless during a vacation five years prior.
The tragic death of William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in a 1997 car crash in Paris while being pursued by photographers, has undeniably heightened the sensitivity surrounding privacy matters for William in France. Both he and his brother, Prince Harry, have a history of initiating multiple lawsuits against publishers for privacy violations.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Kensington Palace firmly asserted that William, Catherine, and their children “are entitled to respect for their private lives and family time, free from unlawful interference and intrusion.”
The statement further emphasized: “The Prince and Princess of Wales are dedicated to safeguarding their private family moments and ensuring their children can mature without unwarranted scrutiny and interference. They will not hesitate to take necessary action to uphold these boundaries.”
In 2020, documents filed by Harry in a separate lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper conglomerate, revealed that William received a “huge sum of money” to settle allegations that the company’s journalists illegally accessed his cellphone. Both William and News Group have maintained their silence on this settlement, adhering to the royal family’s usual practice of discreetly resolving disputes with London tabloids.
Harry, however, deviated from this tradition by pursuing his own lawsuits against Murdoch and other publishers in court. In January, he reached a settlement in his long-running suit against News Group for a substantial, though undisclosed, amount. This settlement also included an admission that private investigators hired by The Sun, News Group’s prominent tabloid, engaged in “unlawful” conduct to unearth personal information about him.
William has proven to be as committed as Harry in fiercely guarding his family’s privacy. The prince recently appeared in an interview with Canadian comedian and actor Eugene Levy, where he openly discussed his vision for reforming the monarchy once he ascends the throne.
During the interview, William notably refrained from showcasing his Windsor estate home or granting access to his wife or children. He explicitly told Mr. Levy of his unwavering intention to maintain a protective barrier of privacy around his immediate family.
“Those who dare to overstep that boundary will face my opposition,” William declared. “It’s fundamentally about understanding and respecting where that line lies.”