French magazine ordered to pay €100,000 as fine for publishing topless photos of Kate Middleton

A French magazine has been ordered by a court in France to pay €100,000 in damages to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, for publishing a topless photo of the Duchess while the pair were on vacation.

The picture was taken while the couple were on holiday in Provence, south France, in September 2012.

Closer magazine had its Editor, Laurence Pieau, and publisher, Ernesto Mauri, pay €45,000 ($53,000) each in fines, for posting the images.

Also, the court requested the magazine forfeit whatever images it has in its possession.

The royal couple’s lawyer, Jean Veil, declined to comment, adding that Kensington Palace would make a statement.

Word is that the couple were snapped with a long lens while they were relaxing by a pool at a chateau belonging to Viscount Linley, a nephew of Queen Elizabeth.

Closer, which is a gossip magazine, was the first to splash those images on its cover leading to the couple filing a criminal complaint about invasion of privacy and obtaining an injunction preventing further use of the images.

o pay Meanwhile, Prince William, in a letter read out in court, said the case reminded him of the paparazzi constantly hounding his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris.