A French court sided with Prince William and Kate Middleton in a case involving unauthorized photos of their children. Taken by French magazine Paris Match, the pictures showed the three children skiing on vacation in the Alps.
The court ruled that the magazine infringed on the couple’s privacy by publishing the photos without their permission. The article on Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, also contained details of their vacation.
Calling the article “grossly intrusive,” the royal couple initiated legal action soon after publication on April 16, 2025. A palace spokesperson warned that any violation of the children’s privacy would provoke a similar reaction. Though royal by birth, they want their children to grow up “without undue scrutiny and interference.
Prince William and Kate Middleton won a legal case against French magazine Paris Match publishers
Despite their legal team initially seeking compensation, the couple told the court they preferred to have the decision published. The magazine published the judicial notice on October 30, as a warning to other outlets.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales have been successful in legal proceedings brought … against the owner of Paris Match,” a palace spokesperson told People. “[The magazine] published a grossly intrusive article and long-lens paparazzi photographs of their private family holiday in the Alps in April.”
Furthermore, “the ruling affirms that … Their Royal Highnesses and their children are entitled to respect for their private lives and family time,” the statement continued. “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. They will not hesitate to take such action as is necessary to enforce those boundaries.”
Meanwhile, a French court ruled in September that the magazine had infringed on the family’s privacy and image rights. Additionally, the publishers of Paris Match also reimbursed the couple’s legal costs.
The Prince and Princess of Wales want to give their children the relatively normal childhood that William and his brother Prince Harry never had. Their children don’t use their titles at school, and they have no live-in help at home. Additionally, rather than emphasizing the “heir and the spare” that Will and Harry grew up with, they’re raising their children as equals.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK WILL AND KATE WERE RIGHT TO SUE THE MAGAZINE? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE WAY THEY’RE RAISING THEIR CHILDREN?
