Prince Harry Nude Scandal: The Sun Newspaper Ignores Royal Warning; Are There More Photos?
August 24, 2012 by Hollywoodite
Thursday morning, shortly after the royals confirmed the photos of Prince Harry were real as if there were any doubt, the family’s lawyers confirmed their intention to file a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission claiming the pictures were a breach of privacy. That is, they insist, there’s an expectation of privacy within one’s hotel suite and the girls had no right to take the photos nor would newspapers have the right to publish them.
A London-based law firm sent legal letters to the bigger newspapers in the UK, claiming the photos of the 27-year-old were in breach of the Press Complaints Commission code. “In an effort to sweep this under the carpet as quickly as possible, [law firm] Harbottle & Lewis have told the British papers not to run Prince Harry’s naked pictures,” a source told RadarOnline.com “The lawyers said any one publishing them would be in breach of the PCC. The media outlets were also warned that their privileges for access to media events featuring the royal family could be restricted if they did use the pictures. Of course, the British media is very careful when a royal scandal is revealed nowadays and has to bow down to the royal family’s demands. But, despite the ban on the UK press, the pictures have already circulated around the world on the internet. Everyone has seen them, so Harry’s blushes will never be spared; not in this day and age.”
Later the same day, The Sun ran a reenactment on its cover (below, left) with one of its own journalists in the pose. Friday morning, however, they decided to just run with it becoming the only newspaper in the UK to run the photos of Prince Harry naked.
The Sun newspaper explained why they’re ignoring the palace’s blackmail and threats. ”This is about the ludicrous situation where a picture can be seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world on the Internet but can’t be seen in the nation’s favorite paper read by eight million people every day,” said managing editor of the Sun David Dinsmore, “This is about our readers getting involved in the discussion with the man who is third in line to the throne. It’s as simple as that… The prince was in Vegas, the party capital of a country with strong freedom-of-speech laws, frolicking in the pool before inviting strangers to his hotel room for a game of strip billiards. These are hardly the acts of a man jealously guarding his privacy… There is a clear public interest in publishing the Harry pictures, in order for the debate around them to be fully informed. The photos have potential implications for the prince’s image representing Britain around the world. There are questions over his security during the Las Vegas holiday. Questions as to whether his position in the Army might be affected.”
In subsequent statement, the palace had this to say: “We have made our views on Prince Harry’s privacy known. Newspapers regulate themselves, so the publication of the photographs is ultimately a decision for editors to make. We have no further comment to make either on the publication of the photographs or on the story itself concerning Prince Harry’s private holiday in Las Vegas.”
If the royals are upset now, they’re about to feel even worse because the American tabloids claim there may be more photos. Max Clifford, the single biggest publicist in the U.K., tells Us Weekly Magazine he’s “been approached by two American girls” claiming to have more photos although he “turned them down.” A source tells Us: “There’s more out there. Stories which won’t go down well with the Royal family. It could get worse.”
Included are The Sun’s reenactment from Thursday morning (left) and the real photos (middle, and far right).
