William & Kate win privacy case against Paris Match

[Lunde]

Sort of drowned out by the other Royal News today - but William and Kate won a privacy case against Paris Match for using pap images of them and the children on holiday in France - including long lens shots of them at their chalet.

They opted for a faster summary process where they waived damages in return for the judicial decision's publication (which saved years of going through the courts.)

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/30/prince-william-and-catherine-princess-of-wales-win-privacy-case-against-paris-match

Good on them. Taking and publishing the images was an invasion of their privacy.

You'd think that French publications would know better given that Will and Kate also won a case after Kate was photographed topless in 2012.

Yes. There’s likely more money made by the media doing it than not doing it. Unfortunately.

Good for them. It's a warning as well to anyone who wants to do this in future.

I actually think the photos are in the public interest. They were photos of a holiday - one of many - that went unreported in UK papers. They basically hardly worked as she was too unwell to work but perfectly fit to go on SEVERAL active holidays which the British press didn’t report. Skied more than once but too ill to go to functions as part of her job. Remember working royals receive public funding they are not the same as a private family. The British press give W and K an easy ride where others don’t get that.

Good for them. It's one thing to report on a holiday, it's completely unethical to violate any individual's privacy with long lens cameras when they are on private property, especially when children are present.

Photos of Kate and William on the skiing slopes are fair game as that's a public place.

But you can't be suggesting that long lens photos of the family, including the children, in their private accommodation is 'in the public interest'? Can you?

To complete your line of reasoning, 'others' are not important.

Strange line of reasoning to begin with tho.

It is difficult to argue that the photographs are in the public interest. A brief family skiing trip is a private matter and hardly comparable to carrying out public duties while recovering from illness. The Prince and Princess of Wales are not personally funded by the taxpayer, and no one outside the family can speak to how she felt at the time. After a very difficult year, enjoying a moment of normality by skiing with her children is entirely understandable — who could object to that? Above all, they are protecting their children’s privacy with this approach. Good for them.

I think you could argue that reporting on the holiday ‘might’ be considered public interest - but the stalking with long lens camera isn’t necessary for that. And we all know Paris Match were not doing it for any reason but money.

Privacy laws are increasingly importany for all of us and individuals and publications which abuse them for profit should be prosecuted.

These photos weren't taken during her sick leave - they were taken during the Easter school holidays this year. I don't think long lens pap photos should be taken of children at their private holiday accommodation.

I guess it ruins the 'we're relatable' persona if photos of their monthly holidays are published.

France has incredibly strict privacy laws. Paris Match must have been very sure they'd make more from sales than they'd lose in court.

Can’t stand this lazy twosome but a long lens focused on children is seedy.

Come on, long lens shots of the children in their accommodation? I’m all for abolishing the royal family all together so I’m no fan, but I don’t think this is acceptable.

While not condoning long lens shots into interiors, it's the second French privacy case they've won which suggests the media there may well consider the balance between potential costs and the cold hard cash to be made to fall in their favour.

Maybe time for them to consider giving France a swerve on the endless holiday round.

It did seem as if the French press have decided the money falls that way.

I don't think they have endless holidays. They have far more holidays than I do but I'm not in their income bracket. I know lots of people who go away for every school holiday though. I grew up in the same area, if not the same circles, as Catherine, and the amount of holidays they take are normal for that circle.

So it’s normal to have all the school holidays off every single year. Tell that to the parents who are trying to get child care for the endless school holidays. They are not a normal family so stop ramming it in people’s faces that they are which is what you seem to do in every single gushing post you make about them.

How many of the people you know are publicly funded and also do very little work when not on holiday?

We don't know how much work they do. We only know what public engagements they undertake. They are funded by the Duchy of Cornwall.

Going on holiday a few times a year is normal in their social circle. Having 2 homes is normal. It's not how I live, it's not how lots of people live but it is how very wealthy people live. Whether they are wise to do so bearing in mind how it can be spun, I don't know. William doesn't strike me as someone who makes decisions based on how it plays on social media.

William and Catherine have very flexible jobs, unless you believe that they only "work" when they are at public events? A lot of their work - meetings with charities, going through red-boxes, running the Duchy and planning for engagements etc can be done anywhere in the world via internet and Zoom.

It is an odd argument that Charles was criticised for being an absent father and sending William and Harry to boarding school aged 8 (and Harry has been vocal about "generational pain" of his upbringing). But now William is criticised for spending time with his kids while they are primary school age?

It is odd that this narrative is being spread now - almost like talking points.

I don't remember the late Queen being criticised for her 5 months away each year (yes 5 months!) in an age where working from home was much more difficult.

Why are Charles and Camilla not criticised - they spend a lot of time away as well - Sandringham, Balmoral, Highgrove, Birkhall, Castle of Mey, I think he has a holiday home in Wales as well...
Plus Charles spends a week or two in his Romanian properties while Camilla has "me time" separate from Charles at Ray Mill house, sometimes a retreat in India, and this year a Greek cruise on a loaned yacht.

Why are Charles and Camilla not criticised - they spend a lot of time away as well - Sandringham, Balmoral, Highgrove, Birkhall, Castle of Mey, I think he has a holiday home in Wales as well...
Plus Charles spends a week or two in his Romanian properties while Camilla has "me time" separate from Charles at Ray Mill house, sometimes a retreat in India, and this year a Greek cruise on a loaned yacht.

Given the whole lot between them muster up around six months' FTE they're all up for criticism on work ethic.

C3 would just seem to enjoy the better PR team.

Well Charles must do his red boxes daily so why assume that William doesn't do his?

I think it’s also that William polls very well and as a package the Wales family are seen very positively by the majority of the public and most importantly the government who know that an attractive polished royal couple like this are very useful for diplomatic needs.

Which means no government no matter the party is going to throw that away and make a republic happen for at least the length of William’s life and potentially George’s - another 50-90 years of constitutional monarchy.

A big tactic for Republicans is to try to chip away at that popularity with anything they can. They don’t need to do the same for Charles as he’s less loved and more criticized in general.

Presumably as HoS in waiting he's fairly red box lite much as Papa was in the same role.