Photographs of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing topless on vacation in 2012 were an invasion of privacy, a French court ruled on Tuesday.
The court awarded 100,000 euros in damages to the duchess and her husband, Prince William. It fined the editor of a glossy magazine and other individuals associated with the publication of the photographs 45,000 to 50,000 euros (about $54,000 to $60,000).
The couple had been seeking 1.5 million euros (nearly $1.8 million) in damages.
Closer magazine and regional newspaper La Provence published grainy photos that showed the duchess sunbathing topless while on holiday in the south of France.
The photos were taken with long lenses as the duke and duchess stayed at a private chateau owned by Viscount Linley, a nephew of Queen Elizabeth.
At the time, Prince William slammed the decision to print the images of his wife as "particularly shocking" in light of his late mother's battles with the paparazzi.
Princess Diana died 20 years ago in a car accident as she fled photographers in Paris, when her sons were aged 15 and 12.
"The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so," a palace spokesman said in 2012.
In 2012, Closer was fined by a French court for printing the images and banned from distributing the print magazine and online. The court also ordered the publication to turn over the original images to the royal family within 24 hours of the ruling and pay them 2,000 euros (around $2,600).
The ruling comes a day after the duke and duchess announced they are expecting their third child together. The baby will be fifth in line to the throne.
