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Biography Reveals William’s 'War' Stance After 2012 Topless Photos of Kate

The account frames the episode as a turning point for how the palace confronts intrusive press coverage.

Overview

  • Russell Myers’ new biography, William and Catherine, recounts previously unpublished details of Prince William’s immediate, forceful response to the 2012 intrusion.
  • During a private stay at Château d’Autet in Provence, a paparazzo used a long‑range lens to photograph Catherine topless; France’s Closer ran the images, later echoed by Italy’s Chi and the Irish Daily Star.
  • Per the book, William made frantic calls to then‑Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, issued a public stance, and ordered lawyers to pursue the case “all the way.”
  • A French court in 2017 awarded the couple €100,000 in damages and fined two staffers €90,000, well below the roughly €1.5 million sought.
  • Closer defended the publication as non‑degrading, while Myers portrays Catherine as outwardly composed and focused on duties as palace aides condemned the breach.