Kate Middleton Photo Scandal: Lawyers Seek Injunction Against Photographer Over Topless Pics

Lawyers of Britain's royal family, who filed a lawsuit last week against the French magazine "Closer" for publishing paparazzi photos of a topless Kate Middleton, will head to court again to file a criminal case against the photographer who took the pictures.

A spokeswoman for Prince William's St. James's Palace office said Sunday that the royal couple's lawyers would make a complaint with French prosecutors Monday against the photographer who took pictures of the Duchess sunbathing topless in the south of France.

"The complaint concerns the taking of photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge whilst on holiday and the publication of those photographs in breach of their privacy," Fox News quoted the spokeswoman as saying.

St. James's Palace also announced that it would seek an injunction Monday in France against Mondadori, the Italian media group, owned by former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, which publishes France's "Closer." It also publishes Italy's "Chi," who has said it would publish 26 pages of the images Monday.

"I don't see anything morbid or damaging in them. Chi pays attention to respecting people's dignity. I don't think they hurt Kate's image," Chi editor Alfonso Signorini told the Associated Press.

According to reports, the palace was considering "all proportionate responses" against Chi. However, no decision has been taken on legal action against it or the Irish Daily Star that reproduced the Closer photos Saturday.

Meanwhile, both the owners of the Irish Daily Star have criticized the publication for publishing the topless photos of Kate.

British company Northern and Shell, the co-owner of the tabloid with Ireland's Independent News and Media, said it was so "profoundly dismayed" that its chief Richard Desmond had planned to pull out of the joint venture.

On the other hand, Joe Webb, the chief executive of Independent News and Media offered his "deepest apologies" and said that the company would be "launching an internal inquiry to ensure there will never be a repeat of this breach of decency."

The storm over the controversial photos notwithsatnding, both William and Kate are on an official tour of Singapore, Malaysia and the South Pacific. The couple arrived in the Solomon Islands Sunday and the island nation of Tuvalu will be the last leg of the trip Tuesday, Fox News reported.