Prince William and Kate Middleton took some time to get away with their three kids over the U.K.'s spring school break this month, heading to Courchevel, France on a luxurious skiing holiday and Paris for an Aston Villa match. Although they stayed at a private chalet, the Prince and Princess of Wales were photographed by paparazzi while relaxing at the property with Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte—and according to the Telegraph, the Wales family is within their rights to take legal action.
The photos were published by French publication Paris Match on April 9 and show the family hanging out on their balcony and standing in front of the chalet with William holding a bottle of wine. The magazine also obtained pictures of George, 11, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6, skiing with their parents. The paparazzi pictures were later picked up by Page Six.
Paris Match spoke with several locals, with one sharing, "We knew they were there, but few of us actually saw them" and another who served the couple at a restaurant commending their French as "perfectly good."
Per the Telegraph, "it is thought that no formal complaint has yet been made," but the outlet pointed out that William and Kate "have a history of run-ins with French magazines."
In 2012, Closer published photos of a topless Princess Kate sunbathing on vacation, causing the couple to sue for invasion of privacy. Their lawsuit stated that the revealing photos were "reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales."
"In September 2012, my wife and I thought that we could go to France for a few days in a secluded villa owned by a member of my family, and thus enjoy our privacy," Prince William said in a statement at the time, adding that "the clandestine way in which these photographs were taken was particularly shocking to us as it breached our privacy."
The couple asked for 1.5 million euros in damages but eventually won 100,000 euros in the case.
This most recent incident might not contain partial nudity, but it does involve the prince and princess's children. As the Telegraph noted, William and Kate "consider their privacy paramount on such breaks, particularly when it comes to their offspring."
