EXCLUSIVE: Untold Story of the Kate Middleton Topless Pictures Scandal — How Snaps That Sent Quake Through Royal Family Left Prince William 'Traumatized Beyond Belief' As He Saw Them as 'Rape'
Prince William was left devastated when topless pictures of his wife Kate Middleton were published.
June 23 2025, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Prince William was "traumatized beyond belief" after topless photographs of Kate Middleton appeared in a French magazine while the royal couple were on tour in Asia – and RadarOnline.com can reveal his incandescent fury was linked to grief over the death of his mother Princess Diana.
Royal reporter Rebecca English has said about his reaction to the snaps emerging: "His jaw was clenched, and he could barely contain his fury. I'd never seen him that angry before."
Our source said: "They reminded him of the privacy invasions his mom Diana had to endure, and he hated to see Kate going through the same thing.
"He really feared for her safety and mental health and regarded those pictures as a form of rape."
Absolute Fury
Wills was reminded of the press intrusion his mother Princess Diana endured when the nude snaps of Middleton were printed.
The now Prince and Princess of Wales, both then in their early thirties, were visiting Malaysia in September 2012 when the photos, taken surreptitiously while the couple were vacationing at a private French villa, were published in the French version of Closer magazine.
The topless images of Middleton, now 43, stunned the palace and led to a rare and rapid legal battle over privacy infringement.
Middleton’s response, however, was markedly composed.
Despite having her privacy violated in the most intimate way, she carried out a full day of engagements with dignitaries and local residents in Kuala Lumpur, never once showing the distress palpable behind the scenes.
"She was the picture of calm and composure," English said. "I marvelled at how she was able to smile, shake hands and make small talk, without the slightest quiver or indication that anything was amiss."
The photographs were taken with a long-lens camera while Wills and Kate were staying at a secluded Provence estate owned by a relative of the royal family.
According to court documents later filed in France, the pictures were taken without the couple’s knowledge from more than half a mile away.
Middleton carried on with royal engagements directly after the publication.
The scandal sparked immediate outrage in the UK and prompted Kensington Palace to initiate legal proceedings.
During a trial in France over the publication of the photos, William and Kate's attorney Jean Weil read a statement on behalf of William and Middleton, saying: "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.
"The clandestine way in which these photographs were taken was particularly shocking to us as it breached our privacy."
The French court sided with the royals.
In 2017, a mag was ordered to pay Middleton $120,000 in damages.
The publication's editor and CEO were each fined €45,000.
She left royal watchers amazed by her composure in the face of the scandal.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
It was a ruling hailed as a landmark for press intrusion and the protection of public figures’ private lives in France.
English, reflecting on the incident on the eve of the couple’s 14th anniversary, said William continued to carry a sense of guilt over the ordeal.
She said: "William felt that he had failed to protect his wife.
"He had promised her parents when he asked for their daughter's hand in marriage two years earlier that he would always do his best to protect her—and felt (wrongly, in my opinion) that he had failed.
"And it shows how far they have come together since those testing times in Malaysia and their continued strength as a family unit."
