Pictures of a pregnant, bikini-clad Kate Middleton were mistakenly shown on UK television show This Morning on Wednesday when the front cover of a magazine that had printed the photos flashed up on millions of viewers’ screens.
The revealing pictures were published yesterday by Chi , an Italian magazine owned by disgraced former Italian former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who previously republished topless holiday snaps of the Duchess of Cambridge last September after they were first published by France’s Closer magazine.
The new photographs, which have been condemned by St James’ Palace, show Kate wearing a blue bikini and walking with William on a beach on the island of Mustique where they are enjoying a private break staying in one of the island’s luxury villas.
Ironically, the blunder happened when the show’s two presenters — Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford — were reviewing morning newspaper headlines and criticizing the Chi magazine cover.
While they did so, pictures of the Royal couple on the front cover of the gossip magazine flashed up on viewers’ screens for three seconds.
Millions of viewers were able to take a good look at the controversial snaps because they were not blacked out.
One of the presenters, Holmes, was forced to apologize on air later in the show, saying :
“Earlier during today’s news review we were discussing photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a beach in Mustique published in an Italian magazine. Unfortunately we accidentally showed an unblurred image of the magazine cover, which briefly showed the photographs. This was a deeply regrettable error and we are very sorry. We apologize unreservedly to the Duke and the Duchess.”
Today’s fracas comes on the heels of Royal family’s anger yesterday after Chi magazine published shots of the expectant couple. In a statement , St. James Palace said:
“We are disappointed that photographs of the duke and duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas. This is a clear breach of the couple’s right to privacy.”
It’s unclear whether the photographer was actually on the isle of Mustique or whether the shots were taken via long lens cameras from a boat offshore.
However, just like last year when topless pictures of Kate vacationing at the Chateau d’Autet in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur were published by several European gossip outlets, most if not all British newspapers have refused to follow suit and print the new photographs.
The row echoes a similar incident involving Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, who was photographed on a Caribbean island while she was pregnant with William in 1982, The Guardian reports .
The editor of Italian gossip magazine Chi has defended publishing the photos of the pregnant Duchess, saying they are “photos of a young couple in love.”
Today, there has been no further comment from the Palace as to whether they will proceed with legal action against the magazine’s publishers.