In an interview published in the French newspaper L’Express, the managing editor of Closer weekly magazine, Laurence Pieau, defended her decision to publish topless photos of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.

She also said she is surprised by the magnitude of the uproar over the photographs, which have the led the British Royal family to ponder legal action against Closer.

“I'm surprised by the pandemonium provoked by the publication of these photographs in London where the British press has issued insults and threats towards me,” she said.

“It is as if we had killed Princess Diana for a second time! The whole thing is absurd and disproportionate. They seem to forget that it was the Anglo-Saxons who invented the tabloids.”

Pieau also said the photos are tasteful.

"These are not insulting to Kate Middleton,” she told the paper.

“We carefully selected those that appeared to us most worthy.”

Pieau further explained how she obtained the photographs.

"We had information that the [Royal] couple was in the Luberon [a region in Provence in the south of France],” she said,

“We also had the address of the hotel where they were staying. A photographer with whom we regularly work had no difficulty in taking these shots which I would call trivial. Indeed, there is a road overlooking the terrace of the hotel in question where anyone could have taken the same photos.”

Pieau also noted that the British media -- which recently published scandalous photos of Prince Harry in Las Vegas -- should look in the mirror.

“[The British press] did not hesitate to publish recent photos of Harry which were far more provocative,” she said

“I am waiting to see how things will evolve in the coming days. And I would be surprised if the tabloids across the [English] Channel do not follow suit [and also print the topless photos of Kate].”

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