French magazine removes topless Kate Middleton pics from website

Launching legal action against the French gossip magazine that published topless photos of Duchess Kate seem to have worked as Closer has already removed the controversial snaps from their website, it has been revealed.

Closer defended their decision to publish the pictures of the royal sunbathing.

“Following comments received after the publication of photos of Kate and William in Closer magazine France, we would like to make the following clarifications: This is the French edition of Closer and not the English edition. The photos we chose are by no means degrading,” RadarOnline quoted the magazine as saying.

“They show a young couple on vacation, beautiful, in love, living a normal life. The article reports that the couple recently vacationed in the south of France,” it said.

The editor of the magazine Laurence Pieau seemed to imply that they also have sex photos of the royal couple in their possession that they decided not to print.

“I won’t hide the fact that there are more intimate pictures that exist that we haven’t published and will not publish. These are images full of joy, not degrading,” she said.

However, they made the move following legal pressure from the royals.

St. James Palace had announced that they have begun “legal proceedings” against the French magazine for publishing photos of the Duchess topless.

The statement released by the Palace said “legal proceedings for breach of privacy have been commenced today in France” by the royal couple, going on to describe the publication of the pictures as “grotesque and totally unjustifiable.

Closer published the photos of Kate without her bikini top, which were taken while they were sunbathing around the swimming pool of Chateau d’Autet, the private residence of the Queen’s nephew Viscount Linley in Luberon, France.

St. James Palace swiftly condemned the photos and invoked the memory of the late Princess Diana in their statement.

“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 Palace said.

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.

“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.

The decision to go ahead with the lawsuit was spearheaded by Prince William who made the move to protect his future family despite Kate telling him not to cause a fuss over the situation.