CLOSER (France), BBC (UK)
The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton is reportedly "furious" after a French magazine published topless pictures of the Royal couple when on holiday in the south of France.
Closer, a French weekly celebrity magazine, hit shelves on Friday with images of Kate Middleton, along with the headline: "Oh my God! The photos that will go global."
Closer's website teased French readers yesterday before the publication: "Discover the incredible snaps of the future queen of England like you've never seen her before... and like you would never have dreamt of [...] The Duchess topless on the terrace of a guesthouse in the Lubéron! OMG!"
The BBC's Royal correspondent, Peter Hunt, says: "They believe a 'red line' has been crossed. The couple cannot believe someone would take such photos and publish them."
I mean. You're the future Queen. Get your baps out on a balcony and someone with a wide angled lens is going to seize the day #katemiddleton
— Emma Smith (@WelshAlienLDN) September 14, 2012
However, there is one country in which the saucy photos of the Princess will not be printed... her dear home nation.
With the British tabloid industry marred by phone-hacking scandals, it seems Fleet Street is still treading on eggshells and are therefore choosing not to publish the photos after being offered them last week, the BBC reports.
Instead, the British press today focused on her current visit to Malaysia, with captions extolling her choice of dress: "Kate's the new Diana," "Kate's a real golden girl" and "A goddess in gold."
The publication is the second headache the Royal family has had to deal with in the past month after American gossip website TMZ published naked pictures of Prince Harry, after a party-filled trip to Las Vegas.
Daily tabloid The Sun was the only newspaper that chose to print the photos of Harry, claiming they were of public interest. The newspaper was subsequently bombarded with thousands of complaints.
