Alleviating the anguish of the British royal family, a French court on Tuesday banned the future publication of the topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing in a chateau while holidaying in France, media reports said.
The ruling came after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sued the French magazine 'Closer' for selling and distributing the images of Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, heir to the British throne.
The magazine's publishers were ordered to give the originals of the photographs to the royal couple within 24 hours. The court told the publishers that they would face a fine of EUR 10,000 ($13,000) for every breach if it re-publishes or distributes the photos.
A French prosecutor had opened a preliminary criminal investigation into the publication of the images following a formal complaint by the royals.
The magazine published 14 photos of a scantly-clad Kate in its pages on Friday. The photographs were believed to have been taken while she was sunbathing on a private holiday with her husband at the French chateau of the Queen's nephew in Provence earlier this month.
Seeking a ban on further publication of the photos, Aurelien Hamelle, lawyer for the royal couple, said the scenes captured were intimate and personal and had no place on the front page of a magazine.
by RTT Staff Writer
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