Catherine & William: 'Closer' Magazine and Breach of Privacy - September 2012

[Hollie]

Well, I don't get the "she should have known better" point of view. Even if no sensitive body parts were involved, the other pictures are still considered as a huge invasion of privacy. The main point should have been that long lens were used to take pictures from far far away.

And I don't think there is any problem with the security. The photos were taken using long lens from HALF A MILE away from where the royal couple were. They can't possibly ask their security to clear the whole area just for them whenever they are privately doing their stuff. Imagine the security cost it would take!

 

[NGalitzine]

i agree with your comments, she wasnt raped, she had pictures taken of her. claiming this is the same as rape really demeans the people who are raped. the pictures were taken outside. not through a window.

if she didnt want the royal ta ta's shown in public...then dont bare the royal ta ta's in public, semi public, or what you hoped would be public. at least the werent doing 'IT'.

another thought, if you can get that close with a camera lense, who is to say you cant get that close with a niper scope? i really hope her security is on it a little better next time.

Hmmm, so If I were to bring my camera to your neignbourhood as long as I stand on a public walkway you would not consider yourself violated if I took pictures of you through your windows or on your backdeck where you might expect to have some levels of privacy you would not consider yourself to have been violated? Good to know.

 

[ladongas]

I wonder if this pervert of a photographer has been taking pictures like these for years? He may have a whole portfolio of those who have stayed at the Linley house. And if not, then who told him that there were famous guests staying there? Were I the Linleys, I would thoroughly question all who knew- housekeepers, gardeners, etc. Someone may have tipped off the creep who took the pictures.

And for those who are "blaming" the DoC, surely she was entitled to assume that her protection officers had considered all threats. But just because they failed in that duty (scouting out the countryside to see if there was a dangerous overlook) doesn't mean that she was expected to know better than they did. Those people should be reassigned- they failed- she didn't.

Just like Princess Anne was not responsible for her near-kidnapping, nor HM for the shots fired at her in the early 80's or the man who broke into her bedroom, nor Lord Mountbatten for his assassination, the Duchess was not responsible for the crime which was committed against her.

 

[Hollie]

I wonder if this pervert of a photographer has been taking pictures like these for years? He may have a whole portfolio of those who have stayed at the Linley house. And if not, then who told him that there were famous guests staying there? Were I the Linleys, I would thoroughly question all who knew- housekeepers, gardeners, etc. Someone may have tipped off the creep who took the pictures.

I won't even be surprised if this same pervert photographer stood on the same spot and spy on the couple for that 3 days, in order to get those scandalous shots.

The people in the airport could have tip him off too.

 

[Empress Merel]

You are entirely missing my point. Life is not fair. Accept it. This is a case of cause and effect. For William and Catherine to assume that they will not always be a target for photographers (who by the way probably made a very handsome income from the photos) is simply naive. Princess Diana has already proved the point that there is no privacy.

It doesn't make it right. It doesn't make it decent. But the reality is different. They will be hounded. It is up to William and Catherine to decide if they want to make the hounding profitable for the photographers and magazines.

Princess Diana is the perfect example on why it should be different for her sons and their partners.

 

[susan alicia]

Rachel Johnson take on the matter in the daily telegraph, she is the sister of Boris and editor of the Lady (est.1885)

.....the rule of thumb is, basically: if you’re famous, and don’t want to appear in Paris Match half-naked, don’t take your top off.

France may have fierce privacy laws, but every summer, its weekly gossip mags publish intrusive photographs of celebrities “romping”.

Kate Middleton: the French will never spare a girl her blushes - Telegraph

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I never said Kate was raped, I said the blaming of her for being violated is similar to those who blame a rape victim for not doing more to prevent her attack. Kate was on private property and expected to have said privacy respected. I tend to think she does this tanning thing in her home in Anglessey all the time which is why she felt comfortable doing it at Viscount Linley's home.

 

[Mirabel]

[my bolding]
Given the cheap outrage in this thread, I would say that the freedom of press combined with a healthy captitalistic desire to make money do not work as well. It is entertaining to see the western minds lost in the jungles of free press.

Of course it works! It succeeded, didn't it?
That photographer can probably retire on the profits from those pics.The lawsuit won't mean a thing; these rags think it's a slow week if someone isn't suing!

And all the screaming and yelling and lawsuits won't change the fact that the pictures are on the Internet and everyone has seen them by now. So what difference who publishes them at this point?

 

[Lee27]

Given Prince William's attitude toward the media, this may the last straw and he may serious limit interviews.
He could continue royal appearances without uttering a word to the press. Just smile and wave.

 

[bethaliz6894]

Hmmm, so If I were to bring my camera to your neignbourhood as long as I stand on a public walkway you would not consider yourself violated if I took pictures of you through your windows or on your backdeck where you might expect to have some levels of privacy you would not consider yourself to have been violated? Good to know.

if you take a picture of me through the window(inside) that is one thing...take a picture on me on my back porch(outside) is different. she wasnt inside, this wasnt taken through a window. all i am saying is you cant expect total privacy if you are outside.

 

[Daria_S]

Given Prince William's attitude toward the media, this may the last straw and he may serious limit interviews.
He could continue royal appearances without uttering a word to the press. Just smile and wave.

I won't be at all surprised if that were the case. The press has no idea when or where to stop (especially the gossip rags), and if one doesn't put a strong limit, one may end up with something like this on his/her hands. What I do wonder is; will this type of move accomplish anything positive, or make people think that William is too aloof and arrogant to share his life with everyone else, since he is after all a royal and depends on the public's good opinion to keep his future 'job' secure.

 

[HRHHermione]

Honestly? I almost wonder the opposite- if perhaps they'll realize the strategy of keeping Kate isolated from the press drives up demand for pictures. I almost think she may begin to grant interviews to media outlets that treat her respectfully so that they become allies and it's not just Cambridges vs. press

 

[Irish Eyes]

The Italian magazine is publishing a 26-page special dedicated to these pictures apparently.

The Irish Daily Star newspaper has also published the pictures today. That publication is a joint venture with the company who owns the British Daily Star, whose owners have now said that they will end the joint venture as they don't support the IDS decision to publish the pictures. I'd guess that'll mean the end of the Irish Daily Star .

I'm not surprised with the Irish press who'll always take any opportunity to embarrass a member of the British royal family.

I was sorry to read your opinion EIIR, I really didn't realise the Irish Press had a bad reputation. We like to think Ireland is a place people in the public eye can come to escape the attention. Any member of the BRF who has visited has been warmly welcomed. The press here never made "Fergie bashing" a national sport, and both herself and Diana received very positive coverage. The younger generation don't get much press, either positive or negative. For what it's worth I hope it is the end of the Daily Star, there was no justification for publishing those photos.
Sorry for going a bit off topic.

 

[HRHHermione]

I have a funny personal anecdote about the Irish press that isn't bad. My sister was one of the American delegates to the rose of Tralee pageants a few years ago and the tabloid stories on the contestants were hilarious. We always quote them back to her over family dinners

Nothing we saw was malicious in that case, just sensationalized.

 

[Dman]

I do understand the freedom of the press thing but this was a total violation of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge privacy. No one should have their privacy violated when they are on private property, this also apply for the royals too.

I'm sure William & Catherine are upset but they don't seem to allowing this situation to ruin their Jubilee Tour. They have a job to do and their doing it.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Haven't seen the pix but apparently William is in some of them as well. Were they possibly hanging by a pool? Now this is reminiscent of the pix of Diana pregnant and in a bikini.
I wouldn't be surprised if William stopped doing interviews; but haven't the British press been respectful about this?

 

[Happiness is sweet]

I think there doing this to show can Kate and William handle the heat. Can they rule a kingdom. Or will they break. Trust me there going to be more hardships to come this is just the beginning.

 

[Mariel]

They know this is a part of their life. They should just smile and wave and ignore the nonsense. They know that there are serious terrible things going on in the world, as in the Middle East, and their topless exposure is nothing serious. I have not seen the pictures, though. I wonder why it is assumed we have all seen them. Are we all supposed to be interested in seeing these?

 

[Happiness is sweet]

There are more intimate pictures of kate and will but they didn't want to release them I guess what there trying to say is that "this is nothing kate your lucky it would've of being worse". I think it's sad but still you have to move on it will take time.

 

[Daria_S]

They know this is a part of their life. They should just smile and wave and ignore the nonsense. They know that there are serious terrible things going on in the world, as in the Middle East, and their topless exposure is nothing serious. I have not seen the pictures, though. I wonder why it is assumed we have all seen them. Are we all supposed to be interested in seeing these?

Yes, on the grand scheme of things their 'topless exposure' is not a big deal, however, on a personal level, I'd say it's pretty big. Their private moments got photographed, for all the world to see (even if some haven't seen these, myself included, it's still there to view, if one chose to do such). They have the right to be upset, furious, livid, etc., and I bet that if you were in their shoes, you won't be sitting and talking about the fact that things in the Middle East are a big deal, and the invasion of your privacy is nothing to care or worry about.

 

[Myself1995]

There are more intimate pictures of kate and will but they didn't want to release them I guess what there trying to say is that "this is nothing kate your lucky it would've of being worse". I think it's sad but still you have to move on it will take time.

I think it's more like their way of blackmailing them. "We are going to post these pictures and if your people take action we have worse pictures we could put out there". I've seen some of the pictures and it's just her taking off her top to sunbathe - I wouldn't be happy if there were pictures of me topless out there but hardly scandalous.

 

[Al_bina]

Of course it works! It succeeded, didn't it?
That photographer can probably retire on the profits from those pics.The lawsuit won't mean a thing; these rags think it's a slow week if someone isn't suing!
And all the screaming and yelling and lawsuits won't change the fact that the pictures are on the Internet and everyone has seen them by now. So what difference who publishes them at this point?

Well ... If this is the case, then fuming over this matter is pathetic. It is the way things are done in the enlightened countries. Duke and Duchess of Cambridge should deal with it. As shocking as Ms. Seward's opinion might be on the subject, I tend to agree with her.

 

[Happiness is sweet]

Ya exactly you nailed it. I wouldn't be happy either she represents a Country for god's sake GREAT BRITIAN YOU KNOW LOL

 

[Osipi]

Ugh.... as I was reading this thread, I glanced at my TV and across the bottom of CNN scrolls "Italian magazine Chi to publish royal photos".

/QUOTE]

Both Closer and Chi are owned by Silvio Berlesconi, the former Italian PM, so I don't think we should expect much in the way of integrity, descency or journalistic ethics (if such things even exist anymore).

Thanks for clarifying that. Sounds like this Berlesconi went to the Murdoch School of Journalism and Sabotage Tactics.

I don't think we're ever going to see either William or Kate rant out about this incident but they will for sure have the best litigators on the case as they can get. Just the fact that this Berlesconi clown is going to release a 26 page edition of Chi AFTER his Closer has been notified of pending charges against them for publishing the ones that they did. This man is dangerous if you ask me and it really surprises me that he at one time was PM of Italy. Makes Murdoch look like Piers Morgan or Anderson Cooper.

 

[soapstar]

I see nothing pathetic about getting upset over having topless photos of them published. And no one should have to get over having their privacy violated.

 

[kakieanne]

A mile away. You can barely even see the house from that distance, much less the occupants. The photographer used a zoom lens to get those photos. He invaded their privacy and the magazine broke the law by publishing them.

I won't say that what the photographer did was morally right, because it wasn't. But he/she is a person earning a living and it's all about money. Yes, the photographer used a zoom lense. And William and Kate have never heard of zoom lenses in 2012? Of course, their privacy was invaded but they need to realize that they do not have any privacy unless they are on one of the royal estates where photographers cannot get to them. That may not be right or fair, but it's reality. The press has a great deal of power and threatening them or suing them is not the way to go.

 

[Mystiblue]

I don't think this is that simple. She's accepted that she has no privacy in her day to day life and that she will never again be able to run into a store or walk on the street without photographers chronicling it. What I think is so wrong about this is the idea that she also deserves no expectation of privacy in her very private life. It's been repeated ad nauseam, but this was a private house, surrounded by private land and she was alone with her husband, and the photographer was half a mile away. The idea that she should chalk up this invasion to a routine thing she just has to expect is incredibly unfair.

Yes, she's a public figure. No, that doesn't mean she should have to give up every moment of her life to worrying that someone is going to spy on her and share it with the world:

Was trying to find the words to reply to your post last night, but then came across this article which pretty much sums it up. I still say I am surprised she took the risk but I do hope she finds the strength to get through this.
Duchess of Cambridge Closer photos: Kate Middleton was daft to allow paparazzi to get so close | Mail Online

 

[Mystiblue]

"William and Kate have never heard of zoom lenses in 2012?"

I totally agree Kakieanne. However they do have the right to sue and so they should. I really am surprised she took the risk as with the position Kate is in, these things will come back and haunt her for years to come

 

[Happiness is sweet]

I just think there is more bigger issues to come. Thank god the queen is still alive and has being in similar situations if she wasn't alive they would all be running around with there head chopped off like chickens

 

[Happiness is sweet]

They have no privacy they will never have privacy in less the queen decides no more magazines or pr stunts whatever you wanna call it and is like lets move to dictatorship. Anything that's released has to be approved by the queen. Can you imagine what would happen