St James’s Palace had already instructed Harbottle & Lewis senior partner Gerrard Tyrrell, and has now also recruited leading French lawyer Maître Aurélien Hamelle to represent the couple in court, following last week’s publication of pictures taken during the royal couple’s private holiday by French magazine Closer. Mr Hamelle is yet to comment on the situation.

Injunctions

The Times newspaper in London reports that the Royal couple’s lawyers will seek four injunctions from the French court in addition to the criminal complaint in order to further limit publication of the pictures. However, no immediate action will be taken against the Irish Daily Star which published 13 of the photos. An Italian magazine, Chi, has also said it will today print 30 pictures of the duchess taken by the same photographer used by Closer, its sister publication.

Proportionate response

A royal source told the newspaper: ‘We are keeping our options under review, but, clearly, there is a time limit to how much action we can take. It’s limited by time and resource. But if there’s a proportionate response we can find. We will do. Our focus remains on dealing with the paparazzo – if we can identify him or her – and the civil action we have already brought against Closer.’

Meanwhile, the couple’s reaction to the publication of the pictures in Ireland was that ‘there can be no motivation for this other than greed’.