A French court has determined that Paris Match violated the family’s privacy, ordering the magazine to pay their legal fees and issue a formal notice admitting the infringement.
Prince William and Kate successfully won a legal case in France after Paris Match published photos of their private family ski holiday, Kensington Palace confirmed.
The April images showed the royal couple and their children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — skiing and relaxing on a chalet balcony at a French Alps resort. Following the publication, the couple contacted their lawyers.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the court ruling recognized that, despite their public roles, William, Kate, and their children are entitled to privacy and family time without “unlawful interference and intrusion.”
The spokesperson emphasized that the Prince and Princess of Wales are committed to safeguarding their family’s private life and raising their children free from undue scrutiny, and they will take legal action as needed to enforce these boundaries.
The legal proceedings against Paris Match reportedly began on April 28, about 12 days after the article was published, with an initial hearing held in June.
The case progressed on September 18, when Sandrine Gil, president of the first chamber of the Nanterre court, issued an interim order that was finalized on October 14.
The court ruled that Paris Match had violated the privacy and image rights of Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children. The magazine was ordered to pay the couple’s legal costs in France and to publish a formal notice acknowledging the breach.