Setting Examples

It has been reported that Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton chose to sue the paparazzo and the French gossip magazine that published !scandalous! photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge in the almost-nude.  She was sunbathing, in France, at a borrowed villa, on a balcony from which a clear, though distant view of the street below must have made it evident that she could be seen. 

Perhaps if she had done the cautionary thing and lifted her head she would have seen the distant figure of the photographer who took advantage of this splendid opportunity to pursue her craft.

The royal couple, in nudging distance of the British throne, chose to break from Queen Elizabeth II's usual response of resorting to legal action reluctantly, and then only as a last-means-resort.

 Of course, in choosing to appear in public - albeit at a remove - mostly nude, with her naked breasts visible, the departure from how Queen Elizabeth would under any circumstances whatever disport herself began with that choice, as well as the one following it.  The Queen's granddaughter-by-marriage chose to eschew her regal example.

But, this is also why the royal couple decided to go to court, and a French court ruled in their favour, awarding a fine of roughly $2,500.  Carefully thought-out as a warning measure that they will not tolerate this kind of intrusion into their private lives. 

But what about private lives made ostentatiously public, on the other hand.  They are thinking ahead, claim prognosticators, to that time when they will have a child, third in succession to the Throne. Their fervent desire being to shield that child, and presumably any others, from similar such intrusions. 

They have the example of Prince William's mother who claimed to detest the paparazzi constantly monitoring her every move, yet her every move appeared to be orchestrated by her in her need of constant attention, to draw them toward her.  Her legacy, it seems, has not been lost on her son, aware of conspicuous behaviour drawing unwanted attention, but the lesson has not been totally assimilated.

The revealing photographs perhaps represent a trajectory of personal revelation, that began, as far as the public may know with fun-loving Kate during her university years wearing skimpy black underwear over which a very sheer garment was worn, and this daring costume was, evidently, what first drew her consort's attention to this vivacious, scintillating young woman whose persona seems, on reflection, quite like that of his mother's.

This deliriously happy young couple, engaged with their adoring public, happen to represent a pair of young people who are pampered, privileged, protected and entitled.  They have been responsible themselves for titillating and beguiling a young woman who is a professional photographer, someone who actually works for a living and who knows she must produce to earn her salary. 

She took advantage of a very obvious opportunity, being in the right place at the right time.

And now this precious couple is hounding her, for doing her job.  We are not amused.

Copies of French magazine Closer showing pictures of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Britain's Prince William are displayed in a newspaper kiosk in Nice September 14, 2012.
Image by: ERIC GAILLARD / REUTERS