12:40 pm - 09/14/2012
As their goodwill tour of Asia continues, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are "saddened," angry and considering legal options as French magazine Closer published topless photos of Kate on Thursday.
"We certainly feel a red line's been crossed," a palace source tells PEOPLE of the photos, which were taken during William and Kate's private holiday in France. The source also said that the mood at the palace back home is "one of anger and disbelief."
News of the photos broke as William and Kate – dressed in headscarf – stepped out to visit Malaysia's largest mosque, in central Kuala Lumpur.
A statement from a St. James's Palace spokesman says, "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," the statement continues. "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."
Adding that officials acting on their behalf are considering legal options, the statement says: "The Duke and Duchess remain focused currently on their Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu on behalf of HM The Queen."
The couple's next stop is a visit to the rainforests of Borneo.
Source
Prince William is About to Fuck People Up
As their goodwill tour of Asia continues, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are "saddened," angry and considering legal options as French magazine Closer published topless photos of Kate on Thursday.
"We certainly feel a red line's been crossed," a palace source tells PEOPLE of the photos, which were taken during William and Kate's private holiday in France. The source also said that the mood at the palace back home is "one of anger and disbelief."
News of the photos broke as William and Kate – dressed in headscarf – stepped out to visit Malaysia's largest mosque, in central Kuala Lumpur.
A statement from a St. James's Palace spokesman says, "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," the statement continues. "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."
Adding that officials acting on their behalf are considering legal options, the statement says: "The Duke and Duchess remain focused currently on their Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu on behalf of HM The Queen."
The couple's next stop is a visit to the rainforests of Borneo.
Source
Edited at 2012-09-14 05:16 pm (UTC)
Plus the public outrage over this...
Edited at 2012-09-14 04:48 pm (UTC)
Monarchy is especially problematic in a society where the idea of meritocracy is pushed and lauded, it can be argued that a Royal family and the attendant nobles makes a mockery of the entire self belief. In addition, it doesn't help that the national anthem of "God Save The Queen" has a line that says, "long she may reign over us" - which is belittling, especially when you compare it to an Anthem or a Pledge of a Republic (I'm using America here, because I am familiar with the anthem) that sings to the spirit of the land and the people that make the land.
I don't sing the National Anthem for this same reason (I'd rather Jerusalem or that Elgin ditty that escapes me - the asking to serve the country with humble pride), because it's really unsettling.
In addition to all of that, you get the feeling that people who are born into the Monarchy... I'd say that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (and he's awkward) might be the last generation to understand the concept of service and duty to the position they've been lucky to be born into. Charles and his brothers and his sons seem like spoilt brats. If it's not them wanting to be a tampon in someone's vagina, it's someone pressing his balls against someone's crack. Yeah, they do service in the military, but you get the feeling that it's half hearted (especially for William - he and Kate tend to take off on holiday whenever) which is unfair, in principle, because they are denying someone who could have made a go at it.
Over here in the UK, there's normally the push and pull of the Monarchy in public opinion. The yet to be decided consensus to see if it's outlived its usefulness. When the opinion starts to get gloomy, either a Royal death or a Royal Wedding happens, and you see the pomp and traditions that the family holds and they fall in love again.
So far, the Royal family have been lucky, in terms of Princess Diana's wattage power and her death leaving her sons a bullet proof of goodwill. I think the Duchess of Cambridge benefits from that too, especially considering her worryingly workshy nature (if she's not on holiday, she's going for a blow dry or itching to take another one. Not impressed at all). So now, with these pictures of her baps out, emotion will blur the fact that the Monarchy needs to be looked at. It's just breeding a little crop of entitled brats and royal hanger ons.
To Prince Charles' credit, he's been looking to shrink the core of the important royals, but that's another piece of gossip for another time.
HTH!
Edited at 2012-09-15 08:03 pm (UTC)
FERGIE 1.0
Boobs are boobs but she shouldn't have to alter a private moment with her husband for fear some creeper is 5000 yards away in the bushes.