Topless pictures blow for Duke of Cambridge who tried to protect his bride from media scrutiny The prince was not harassed and in return the palace provided set piece photocalls for the press. Following the death of Princess Diana the frenzied market for royal photos, at one time a multi-million pound industry, all but dried up. But the arrival of Kate Middleton on the Royal scene resurrected the interest. The royals, and Prince William, had wanted to shield themselves from a return to the days when reporters and photographers literally followed Princess Diana everywhere she went, to the extent she knew many of them personally. In 1997, Channel 4 removed pictures of the dead body of Diana, Princess of Wales, from a documentary after an appeal from the princes. "We feel that, as her sons, we would be failing in our duty to her now if we did not protect her - as she once did us," they said in a statement form the palace. On their honeymoon in the Seychelles there was a collective agreement among the media that any photographs would be a breach of their privacy. An Australian magazine did, however, break the agreement and was roundly criticised. But recently the fragile peace has been broken. The royals - who only last month suffered the embarrassment of pictures of a naked Prince Harry being widely disseminated - have become fair game again. Now they will have to decide what to do and whether they pursue Closer - and the photographers - to the French court. Theoretically under French law, the media have to get permission of the person photographed before they publish. But recently, the law has been generally ignored and the fines are derisory. Usually the royals decide to do nothing and leave it to the public to pass judgment on the kind of person who takes pictures of a woman sunbathing topless on a private property. But they may also decide to take a stand to stop history repeating itself.