Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lodge complaint over Kate photos

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will today make a criminal complaint against the photo­grapher who took topless pictures of Kate, as it emerged that a separate civil action could see the royal couple entangled in a legal battle for up to two years.

Lawyers for the Windsors will lodge a complaint with French prosecutors today in the hope of having those who took the pictures charged with invading their privacy.

Earlier, a source close to William and Kate said a pro­visional injunction would be issued, preventing further publication of the pictures. The source added that a civil action against Closer, the French magazine that first published the photographs, could take up to two years to reach court.

In a statement issued by St James’s Palace last night, a spokeswoman 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.”

The couple happily posed for the press as they continued their overseas tour in the Solomon Islands yesterday.

However, they have also not ruled out further legal action against the publishers of the Irish Daily Star – which also published the pictures – and the owners of the Italian gossip magazine Chi, if it goes ahead with plans to print further photographs of the duchess this week.

The Italian magazine’s publisher, Marina Berlusconi, daughter of former prime minister Silvio, who owns the publishing company, last night defended the decision to use the pictures after Italian newspaper La Repubblica ran a front-page editorial saying it had been “grotesque” to do so.

The newspaper added that Mr Berlusconi had “turned down Buckingham Palace’s request” not to publish them and had therefore “angered a friendly state”.

Royal sources said the couple’s anger had “subsided” since the photographs had first appear­ed, but said they were still determined to pursue the publishers of the French magazine which first printed the images and the photographer who took them. 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.”

Meanwhile, the future of the Irish Daily Star has been left in question after its editor took the decision to publish, saying Kate was no different from celebrities such as Rihanna or Lady Gaga.

But Richard Desmond, chairman of the publishing group that co-owns the paper, said: “I am very angry at the decision to publish these photographs and am taking immediate steps to close down the joint venture.”