Italian magazine has TWO HUNDRED pictures of topless Kate... and plans to use 50 of them in a 26-page special edition
- Chi to follow French magazine and Irish Daily Star in printing naked images
- Front cover unveiled with headline: 'Court Scandal: The Queen is Nude!'
- Comes as furious Prince William calls for those responsible to be jailed
- Lawyers to appear in Parisian court in bid to prevent further publications
- But Chi's editor says 'not even direct call from the Queen' would stop him
- Pair says decision by Irish Daily Star to publish was 'motivated by greed'
- Newspaper's co-owner Richard Desmond vows to close down publication
- Royals seem relaxed as they arrive on Soloman Islands for next leg of tour
- Source says legal battle against publications could stretch on for two years
- Royal pair confirm they will make criminal complaint against photographer
By NICK PISA, SIMON TOMLINSON and MARK DUELL PUBLISHED: 09:02 GMT, 16 September 2012 | UPDATED: 17:41 GMT, 16 September 2012
The Italian magazine which plans to publish more topless pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge has some 200 images of the future queen sunbathing naked, it has emerged.Chi announced it is preparing a 26-page special edition tomorrow featuring 50 intimate photographs of Kate Middleton on holiday in France. It comes as a furious Prince William revealed he wants those responsible for taking and printing the pictures of his wife to be jailed.
High and dry: Italian magazine Chi (left) has announced it would publish a 26-page special of topless Kate Middleton using 50 images of the 200 in its possession as the Duke and Duchess (right, in Borneo) battle to prevent other media outlets around the world from using the naked pictures of her on holiday in France
But the defiant editor of Chi has Tweeted that 'not even a direct call from the Queen' would stop him from publishing the pictures.The Chi cover, featuring three pictures of a topless princess, was unveiled Saturday in Italian newspapers and television under the headline 'Court Scandal: The Queen is Nude!'
Former Latin teacher-turned-editor Alfonso Signorini, 48, posted the message online after being posed the question by one of his followers on Twitter.Mr Signorini said he was not afraid of any legal action in Italy because as far he was concerned the pictures were taken in a public place and there had been no invasion of privacy.He added: 'I am convinced by this scoop that Chi will be publishing on Monday because that is what we are talking about. These pictures are not offensive or in poor taste, they are not morbid and they do not damage the dignity of anyone.
Surprisingly relaxed: Prince William and wife Kate wave to the crowds on a truck decorated as a canoe as they depart Honiara International Airport on the Solomon Islands
In good spirits: The royal couple laugh as warriors perform a traditional dance at Honiara International Airport as they vowed to prosecute those responsible for taking and printing the naked pictures
'Instead the pictures that were published in Britain of Prince Harry were exactly that - if I didn't recognise the journalistic value of what I had then if I did not publish them I would be better off in a market selling artichokes. 'These pictures were taken while the couple were on a terrace and they were taken from a public place so there is no suggestion of an invasion of privacy.'
'These pictures were taken while the couple were on a terrace and they were taken from a public place so there is no suggestion of an invasion of privacy'
Alfonso Signorini, Chi editor
The royal couple are trying to halt the publication of the photographs in Chi, owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and are struggling to prevent them being printed elsewhere around the world. Lawyers for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will appear in court in Paris tomorrow to try to prevent further publication of topless photographs of Kate. They will also be seeking legal damages against French Closer magazine.
Meanwhile, St James's Palace said tonight that the couple are to make a criminal complaint against the photographer who took the topless pictures of Kate. Lawyers will put the complaint to the French prosecutor tomorrow. The couple want the photographer or photographers responsible to be charged with a criminal offence for invading their privacy.
All smiles: Kate and William embark on the next leg of their Diamond Jubilee tour on the Solomon Islands
Not impressed: A furious Prince William revealed he wants those responsible for taking and printing the pictures of his wife to be jailed
MEDIA TYCOON 'DISMAYED' BY HIS PAPER'S DECISION TO PUBLISH TOPLESS KATE PICTURES
Media baron Richard Desmond,right, last night announced he was taking immediate steps to terminate his involvement with the Irish Daily Star after it became the second publication to print topless photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge.
The chairman of Northern & Shell, which co-owns the newspaper with Dublin-based Independent News & Media, said he was ‘profoundly dismayed’ at the decision, which was taken without his knowledge.
The intervention by the multi-millionaire – who owns British newspapers the Daily Express and Daily Star – came as St James’s Palace reacted with fury to the news, saying: ‘There can be no motivation for this action other than greed.’
A source close to Mr Desmond said last night: ‘When he found out what had been printed he was absolutely astonished. Northern & Shell will now seek to have no further involvement with the joint venture that produces the newspaper.’
Insiders confirmed that the Irish Daily Star would face an uncertain future without Mr Desmond’s backing, although Independent News & Media is expected to continue to support the title.
The source added: ‘The decision to terminate the contract stems from a personal belief about what is right and wrong, it’s that simple.’
A statement issued on behalf of Mr Desmond said: ‘We abhor the decision of the Irish Daily Star to publish these intrusive pictures, which we believe to be a grotesque invasion of their privacy.
'Northern & Shell is profoundly dismayed at the decision, which would never have been made by any of the newspapers or magazines under our editorial control.'
A palace spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that a criminal complaint is to be made to the French Prosecution Department tomorrow. ‘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.’ Once the complaint is made, it is up to the prosecutors to decide whether to investigate it.
Publications in America and Germany are believed to be considering using the photos. Meanwhile, a photographer who filmed the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing at the French chateau was last night revealed as a woman whose name is pronounced ‘sewer’.
Valerie Suau took pictures of Kate in her swimsuit, but not, she says, topless. She described her pictures, published in France’s La Provence regional newspaper, as ‘all decent’. The Duke and Duchess looked happy as they ventured into the Borneo jungle yesterday - just hours after The Irish Daily Star followed French magazine Closer by printing the naked pictures in an edition in the Republic of Ireland.
A spokesman for St James's Palace said the decision by the Irish Daily Star was 'motivated by greed'. Media baron Richard Desmond, whose company Northern & Shell co-owns the Irish Daily Star with the Dublin-based Independent News & Media, has reacted furiously and vowed to shut the newspaper down.
He said: 'I am very angry at the decision to publish these photographs and am taking immediate steps to close down the joint venture. 'The decision to publish these pictures has no justification whatever and Northern & Shell condemns it in the strongest possible terms.' The newspaper's editor, Mike O'Kane, had earlier defended the publication.
He said: 'The Duchess would be no different to any other celeb pics we would get in, for example Rihanna or Lady Gaga. 'She's not the future queen of Ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the UK, and they are very very tasteful pictures.'
Legal battleground: Lawyers for Kate and William will appear at this court in Paris tomorrow to try to prevent further publication of topless photographs of the Duchess
Privacy row: The Tribunal de Grande Instance (above) in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, will hear representations from the royals as they begin legal action against the publishers of French Closer magazine
Despite their obvious strains, the Duke and Duchess appeared relaxed as they began the next leg of their Diamond Jubilee tour today after flying from Malaysia to the remote South Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands.
The royal couple arrived in the capital Honiara where they were given a traditional welcome complete with garlands of flowers and warriors in traditional dress.
'The Duchess would be no different to any other celeb pics we would get in, for example Rihanna or Lady Gaga. She's not the future queen of Ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the UK, and they are very very tasteful pictures'
Mike O'Kane, Irish Daily Star editor
The Queen's official representative on the Solomon Islands, Governor-General Sir Frank Kabui, and his wife Lady Grace Kabui greeted the pair along with Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo.
William and Kate then rode on an open-topped vehicle, shaped as a traditional canoe with a leaf roof canopy, to St Barnabas Cathedral where they were due to attend a Jubilee thanksgiving service for the Queen.
Royal aides have drawn parallels between the late Princess of Wales's most upsetting encounters with certain elements of the press and the 'unthinkable' actions of Closer, which left Kate and William feeling 'anger and disbelief'. Last night, the palace announced that lawyers would be pursuing the matter through the French courts.
Triggering the storm: French magazine Closer (left) was the first to publish the naked pictures, a decision which was followed by the Irish Daily Star (right)
It is understood that the royal couple's aim is to prevent further use of the images and to seek damages. But it has now emerged Prince William is keen to take criminal action and has vowed to give evidence at a trial.In a short statement issued yesterday, the palace said: 'St James's Palace confirms that legal proceedings for breach of privacy have been commenced today in France by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge against the publishers of Closer Magazine France.'
PREVIOUS DISPUTES IN FOCUS
Royalty in Britain rarely attempt to sue newspapers - but there have been a handful of legal disputes in the past.
Only one has ever got to court. Princess Margaret's son, Viscount Linley, sued the Today newspaper- which no longer exists - for accusing him of rowdy behaviour in a pub.
The Viscount, who happens to own the French chateau where Kate was photographed, won £30,000 in damages. But other cases have been settled outside the courtroom.
The Queen has sued the Sun twice for copyright breach. Firstly, an out-of-court settlement was reached in 1988 when it published a stolen photo of the Duchess of York and her daughter, Princess Beatrice.
The second was in 1993 when the Sun paid £200,000 to a charity out-of-court after it published the Queen's Christmas broadcast before the text had been released.
Meanwhile in that year Princess Diana took on the Daily Mirror after it published photos of her taken with a hidden camera in a gym. It paid her £1million legal costs and gave £200,000 to charity.
The Prince of Wales and the Queen have also successfully taken out injunctions over the past two decades to stop a former housekeeper in 1995 and a servant in 2003, respectively, publishing their memoirs in the UK.
The royal couple have the sympathy of Downing Street, with a source close to David Cameron saying that Number 10 'echoes the sadness of the palace' over the publication of the pictures.
The decision by both Chi, and the Irish Daily Star, comes despite St James's Palace describing the publication of the photos of Kate in French magazine Closer yesterday as a 'grotesque and totally unjustifiable' invasion of privacy.Kate and William were staying at the Chateau d'Autet, deep in the Provence countryside east of Avignon, when the pictures were taken from a public road less than half-a-mile from the former hunting lodge, close to the medieval village of Viens.Meanwhile a source said today that the couple’s attempts to seek justice through the French courts could drag on for two years.
Speaking about possible legal action against the Irish and Italian publications, the source said: ‘We are keeping our options under review but clearly there is a limit to how much action we can take.
‘It's limited by time and resource, but if there is a proportionate response we can find, we will do, but our focus remains on dealing with the paparazzo if we can identify him or her and the civil action we have already brought against Closer.’
The source added: ‘There will be a court hearing tomorrow where a provisional injunction will be issued, which prevents further publication by the publishers and ensures that the publisher has to take the pictures offline.’
The source said that the actual hearing could be 18 to 24 months later.'
They are not actors, they are as upbeat and as pleased to be on this tour as you can see they are. The Royal family motto is to stay calm and carry on'
Royal source
The possibility of the royal couple having to give evidence at some stage was remote as their legal counsel believed they had a very strong case. ‘Our understanding is, such circumstances are very rare and we will consider that if it crosses our bridge. At the moment the case is open and shut,’ the source said.
The source said the royal couple remained positive and happy to be working on behalf of the Queen: ‘They are not actors, they are as upbeat and as pleased to be on this tour as you can see they are.
'The Royal family motto is to stay calm and carry on.’
High and dry: Italian magazine Chi (left) has announced it would publish a 26-page special of topless Kate Middleton using 50 images of the 200 in its possession as the Duke and Duchess (right, in Borneo) battle to prevent other media outlets around the world from using the naked pictures of her on holiday in France
But the defiant editor of Chi has Tweeted that 'not even a direct call from the Queen' would stop him from publishing the pictures.The Chi cover, featuring three pictures of a topless princess, was unveiled Saturday in Italian newspapers and television under the headline 'Court Scandal: The Queen is Nude!'
Former Latin teacher-turned-editor Alfonso Signorini, 48, posted the message online after being posed the question by one of his followers on Twitter.Mr Signorini said he was not afraid of any legal action in Italy because as far he was concerned the pictures were taken in a public place and there had been no invasion of privacy.He added: 'I am convinced by this scoop that Chi will be publishing on Monday because that is what we are talking about. These pictures are not offensive or in poor taste, they are not morbid and they do not damage the dignity of anyone.
Surprisingly relaxed: Prince William and wife Kate wave to the crowds on a truck decorated as a canoe as they depart Honiara International Airport on the Solomon Islands
In good spirits: The royal couple laugh as warriors perform a traditional dance at Honiara International Airport as they vowed to prosecute those responsible for taking and printing the naked pictures
'Instead the pictures that were published in Britain of Prince Harry were exactly that - if I didn't recognise the journalistic value of what I had then if I did not publish them I would be better off in a market selling artichokes. 'These pictures were taken while the couple were on a terrace and they were taken from a public place so there is no suggestion of an invasion of privacy.'
'These pictures were taken while the couple were on a terrace and they were taken from a public place so there is no suggestion of an invasion of privacy'
Alfonso Signorini, Chi editor
The royal couple are trying to halt the publication of the photographs in Chi, owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and are struggling to prevent them being printed elsewhere around the world. Lawyers for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will appear in court in Paris tomorrow to try to prevent further publication of topless photographs of Kate. They will also be seeking legal damages against French Closer magazine.
Meanwhile, St James's Palace said tonight that the couple are to make a criminal complaint against the photographer who took the topless pictures of Kate. Lawyers will put the complaint to the French prosecutor tomorrow. The couple want the photographer or photographers responsible to be charged with a criminal offence for invading their privacy.
All smiles: Kate and William embark on the next leg of their Diamond Jubilee tour on the Solomon Islands
Not impressed: A furious Prince William revealed he wants those responsible for taking and printing the pictures of his wife to be jailed
MEDIA TYCOON 'DISMAYED' BY HIS PAPER'S DECISION TO PUBLISH TOPLESS KATE PICTURES
Media baron Richard Desmond,right, last night announced he was taking immediate steps to terminate his involvement with the Irish Daily Star after it became the second publication to print topless photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge.
The chairman of Northern & Shell, which co-owns the newspaper with Dublin-based Independent News & Media, said he was ‘profoundly dismayed’ at the decision, which was taken without his knowledge.
The intervention by the multi-millionaire – who owns British newspapers the Daily Express and Daily Star – came as St James’s Palace reacted with fury to the news, saying: ‘There can be no motivation for this action other than greed.’
A source close to Mr Desmond said last night: ‘When he found out what had been printed he was absolutely astonished. Northern & Shell will now seek to have no further involvement with the joint venture that produces the newspaper.’
Insiders confirmed that the Irish Daily Star would face an uncertain future without Mr Desmond’s backing, although Independent News & Media is expected to continue to support the title.
The source added: ‘The decision to terminate the contract stems from a personal belief about what is right and wrong, it’s that simple.’
A statement issued on behalf of Mr Desmond said: ‘We abhor the decision of the Irish Daily Star to publish these intrusive pictures, which we believe to be a grotesque invasion of their privacy.
'Northern & Shell is profoundly dismayed at the decision, which would never have been made by any of the newspapers or magazines under our editorial control.'
A palace spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that a criminal complaint is to be made to the French Prosecution Department tomorrow. ‘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.’ Once the complaint is made, it is up to the prosecutors to decide whether to investigate it.
Publications in America and Germany are believed to be considering using the photos. Meanwhile, a photographer who filmed the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing at the French chateau was last night revealed as a woman whose name is pronounced ‘sewer’.
Valerie Suau took pictures of Kate in her swimsuit, but not, she says, topless. She described her pictures, published in France’s La Provence regional newspaper, as ‘all decent’. The Duke and Duchess looked happy as they ventured into the Borneo jungle yesterday - just hours after The Irish Daily Star followed French magazine Closer by printing the naked pictures in an edition in the Republic of Ireland.
A spokesman for St James's Palace said the decision by the Irish Daily Star was 'motivated by greed'. Media baron Richard Desmond, whose company Northern & Shell co-owns the Irish Daily Star with the Dublin-based Independent News & Media, has reacted furiously and vowed to shut the newspaper down.
He said: 'I am very angry at the decision to publish these photographs and am taking immediate steps to close down the joint venture. 'The decision to publish these pictures has no justification whatever and Northern & Shell condemns it in the strongest possible terms.' The newspaper's editor, Mike O'Kane, had earlier defended the publication.
He said: 'The Duchess would be no different to any other celeb pics we would get in, for example Rihanna or Lady Gaga. 'She's not the future queen of Ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the UK, and they are very very tasteful pictures.'
Legal battleground: Lawyers for Kate and William will appear at this court in Paris tomorrow to try to prevent further publication of topless photographs of the Duchess
Privacy row: The Tribunal de Grande Instance (above) in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, will hear representations from the royals as they begin legal action against the publishers of French Closer magazine
Despite their obvious strains, the Duke and Duchess appeared relaxed as they began the next leg of their Diamond Jubilee tour today after flying from Malaysia to the remote South Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands.
The royal couple arrived in the capital Honiara where they were given a traditional welcome complete with garlands of flowers and warriors in traditional dress.
'The Duchess would be no different to any other celeb pics we would get in, for example Rihanna or Lady Gaga. She's not the future queen of Ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the UK, and they are very very tasteful pictures'
Mike O'Kane, Irish Daily Star editor
The Queen's official representative on the Solomon Islands, Governor-General Sir Frank Kabui, and his wife Lady Grace Kabui greeted the pair along with Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo.
William and Kate then rode on an open-topped vehicle, shaped as a traditional canoe with a leaf roof canopy, to St Barnabas Cathedral where they were due to attend a Jubilee thanksgiving service for the Queen.
Royal aides have drawn parallels between the late Princess of Wales's most upsetting encounters with certain elements of the press and the 'unthinkable' actions of Closer, which left Kate and William feeling 'anger and disbelief'. Last night, the palace announced that lawyers would be pursuing the matter through the French courts.
Triggering the storm: French magazine Closer (left) was the first to publish the naked pictures, a decision which was followed by the Irish Daily Star (right)
It is understood that the royal couple's aim is to prevent further use of the images and to seek damages. But it has now emerged Prince William is keen to take criminal action and has vowed to give evidence at a trial.In a short statement issued yesterday, the palace said: 'St James's Palace confirms that legal proceedings for breach of privacy have been commenced today in France by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge against the publishers of Closer Magazine France.'
PREVIOUS DISPUTES IN FOCUS
Royalty in Britain rarely attempt to sue newspapers - but there have been a handful of legal disputes in the past.
Only one has ever got to court. Princess Margaret's son, Viscount Linley, sued the Today newspaper- which no longer exists - for accusing him of rowdy behaviour in a pub.
The Viscount, who happens to own the French chateau where Kate was photographed, won £30,000 in damages. But other cases have been settled outside the courtroom.
The Queen has sued the Sun twice for copyright breach. Firstly, an out-of-court settlement was reached in 1988 when it published a stolen photo of the Duchess of York and her daughter, Princess Beatrice.
The second was in 1993 when the Sun paid £200,000 to a charity out-of-court after it published the Queen's Christmas broadcast before the text had been released.
Meanwhile in that year Princess Diana took on the Daily Mirror after it published photos of her taken with a hidden camera in a gym. It paid her £1million legal costs and gave £200,000 to charity.
The Prince of Wales and the Queen have also successfully taken out injunctions over the past two decades to stop a former housekeeper in 1995 and a servant in 2003, respectively, publishing their memoirs in the UK.
The royal couple have the sympathy of Downing Street, with a source close to David Cameron saying that Number 10 'echoes the sadness of the palace' over the publication of the pictures.
The decision by both Chi, and the Irish Daily Star, comes despite St James's Palace describing the publication of the photos of Kate in French magazine Closer yesterday as a 'grotesque and totally unjustifiable' invasion of privacy.Kate and William were staying at the Chateau d'Autet, deep in the Provence countryside east of Avignon, when the pictures were taken from a public road less than half-a-mile from the former hunting lodge, close to the medieval village of Viens.Meanwhile a source said today that the couple’s attempts to seek justice through the French courts could drag on for two years.
Speaking about possible legal action against the Irish and Italian publications, the source said: ‘We are keeping our options under review but clearly there is a limit to how much action we can take.
‘It's limited by time and resource, but if there is a proportionate response we can find, we will do, but our focus remains on dealing with the paparazzo if we can identify him or her and the civil action we have already brought against Closer.’
The source added: ‘There will be a court hearing tomorrow where a provisional injunction will be issued, which prevents further publication by the publishers and ensures that the publisher has to take the pictures offline.’
The source said that the actual hearing could be 18 to 24 months later.'
They are not actors, they are as upbeat and as pleased to be on this tour as you can see they are. The Royal family motto is to stay calm and carry on'
Royal source
The possibility of the royal couple having to give evidence at some stage was remote as their legal counsel believed they had a very strong case. ‘Our understanding is, such circumstances are very rare and we will consider that if it crosses our bridge. At the moment the case is open and shut,’ the source said.
The source said the royal couple remained positive and happy to be working on behalf of the Queen: ‘They are not actors, they are as upbeat and as pleased to be on this tour as you can see they are.
'The Royal family motto is to stay calm and carry on.’
