Why Kate Middleton’s Bikini Photos Sparked Outrage When Diana Also Posed In Swimsuit

Kate Middleton once faced backlash after photos of her wearing a bikini were published online.

On the online forum site Quora, royal fans are wondering why the Duchess of Cambridge was criticized for showing off her skin when Princess Diana also posed in a similar fashion when she was still alive.

Chris Smith, a retired high school history teacher, said that the photos of the Princess of Wales were taken while she was on a public beach so privacy couldn’t have been expected. On the contrary, Middleton’s photos were taken while she was on a private vacation with Prince William.

“She had every reason to expect that she was in a private situation. As such the pictures are seen as an invasion of privacy… Another point to remember is that the photos of Catherine were taken after the death of Princess Diana and her death and the role of the paparazzi in that changed the rules around privacy of public figures especially in France,” he said.

Mark Harrison also said a similar thing. He said that every person – including royals – have the right to their privacy. Tony Bartlett clarified that Middleton wearing a bikini was not what sparked outrage from royal fans. Rather, it was her privacy that was questioned.

Bartlett said that since the death of the Princess of Wales, privacy laws have been tightened and any type of intrusive photography like what happened to the Duchess of Cambridge was not acceptable.

Simon Kinahan, a resident of the United Kingdom, also said that Princess Diana’s bikini photos caused a huge controversy back in the day. As such, royal fans didn’t expect to see Middleton in similar attire.

Middleton and Prince William were vacationing in France in 2012 when the paparazzi took a photo of the former using a long lens. Images of a topless mom of three were published through French media. Following the incident, Prince William released a statement saying that what happened was shocking for him and his wife.