Table of Contents
- Royal Privacy Win in French Court
- The Controversial Ski Resort Photos
- A Painful History with Paparazzi
- William’s Hardline Privacy Stance
- Legal Precedents Set by Royals
- Sources
Royal Privacy Win in French Court
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have secured a significant legal victory against French magazine Paris Match, which has officially acknowledged breaching the couple’s privacy. The acknowledgment comes after the royals filed a lawsuit over paparazzi photos taken during their family ski vacation in Courchevel, France, in April 2025.
In a rare move, Kensington Palace announced that the couple dropped their financial compensation claim in exchange for a judicial notice published in the magazine’s latest issue. The notice confirmed that both the print and online versions of Paris Match violated the family’s right to privacy and image rights under French law.
The Controversial Ski Resort Photos
The disputed images showed Prince William holding a bottle of wine on a balcony with Catherine and their three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—clearly visible in the background. The photos were snapped without consent using long-range lenses, a tactic the royal family has long condemned as invasive.
Kensington Palace emphasized that such intrusions cross a clear boundary. “The Prince and Princess of Wales are committed to protecting their private family time and ensuring that their children can grow up without undue scrutiny and interference,” the palace stated.
A Painful History with Paparazzi
This case echoes a tragic chapter in royal history: the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a Paris car crash while fleeing paparazzi. William and his brother, Prince Harry, have since been vocal advocates for stronger privacy protections, especially concerning their children.
Catherine herself previously won a €100,000 settlement in 2017 after another French publication published topless photos of her during a private holiday. That landmark ruling set a precedent for image rights in France, which the latest Paris Match case reinforces.
William’s Hardline Privacy Stance
Prince William has made it clear that protecting his family’s private life is non-negotiable. In a recent interview with Canadian actor Eugene Levy, William discussed his vision for a modernized monarchy—but notably refused to let cameras into his home or involve his wife and children.
“Those who overstep it I’ll fight against,” William told Levy. “It’s about knowing where the line is.” This philosophy underpins his legal actions, which have included past settlements with UK tabloids over phone hacking and unauthorized surveillance.
Legal Precedents Set by Royals
The royal family’s legal strategy has evolved from quiet settlements to public accountability. While William typically resolves disputes privately—as seen in a reported 2020 settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group—Harry has taken a more litigious route, recently settling his own case against the same publisher with an admission of unlawful conduct.
Together, their efforts are reshaping how media outlets handle coverage of the royal family, particularly in jurisdictions like France, where privacy laws are among the strongest in Europe.
