Prince William and Kate Middleton won a legal battle in France against Paris Match. The magazine published photos of them and their children during a private ski holiday in the French Alps, according to Reuters.
The photos captured William, Kate, and their children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, skiing and enjoying some downtime at a chalet. Just days after the photos came out in April, Kate and William quickly took legal action.
According to The Guardian, a palace spokesperson said, “The Prince and Princess of Wales are committed to protecting their private family time and ensuring that their children can grow up without undue scrutiny and interference. They will not hesitate to take such action as is necessary to enforce those boundaries.”
Rather than making a typical claim for damages, William and Kate asked for a judicial notice to be published in the magazine instead of a big payout. For them, it was more about the principle. When it comes to their personal time with the kids, they will always enforce their boundaries.
Paris Match followed the court’s ruling and put out the notice (according to Fox News).
“By order dated 18 September 2025, the urgent applications judge of the Nanterre Judicial Court found that the publication of an article and photographs in the magazine Paris Match issue no 3962 dated 10 April 2025, in addition to the publication that was made on the social media pages of Paris Match, had infringed the respect due to their private life and the rights The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children have on their image.”
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William knows firsthand about this issue. His mother, Princess Diana, tragically died in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi back in 1997. He often talks about protecting his own children from similar dangers.
According to People, royal biographer Andrew Morton notes, “He also wants to make sure that their public appearances are controlled.” He adds, “[William] thwarts the paparazzi from attempting to take pictures, because they release enough pictures to keep them interesting.”
This isn’t the first battle William and Kate have fought against a magazine. In 2012, they took legal action against another French magazine, Closer, after they published topless photos of Kate. The court ended up awarding damages to the couple because they felt violated by that publication.
While William and Kate surely hope this recent decision from the French court could influence future cases, the paparazzi might not back off that easily.
The public also needs to understand that the royals cherish their downtime. Despite the constant attention, Kate and William seem committed to keeping their kids’ lives as normal as they can.
William, in particular, is quite fierce when it comes to protecting his family’s private affairs from outsiders. As reported by The New York Times, during an interview with Eugene Levy, the prince emphasized his dedication to safeguarding the privacy of both Kate and the children.
“Those who overstep it I’ll fight against,” William noted. “It’s about knowing where the line is.”
