Duchess Kate Bodyguard Hired to Protect Royal Image After Photo Scandal
Duchess Kate reportedly has a new bodyguard or minder to help protect her privacy and public image in the wake of the photo scandal in Australia and New Zealand. It's reminding fans of the royal family of the same thing that happened with the late Princess Diana before her marriage to Prince Charles.
During the trip to Australia, Kate was boarding a helicopter and its blades caused a gust of wind to blow the Duchess' skirt up, exposing her bare bottom. It was an embarrassment for the royal couple who were outraged that a photographer would not only take the photo but then sell the pic to make a profit. However, the photographer, Diane Morel, decided to give the profits to a charity in honor of the royals to try and make amends.
"Kate and William spent so much time speaking to the victims of the bushfires [in Australia] that I decided I would donate any money raised from the sale of the photo to the Blue Mountains Bushfire Mayoral Relief Fund," Morel told E! Online.
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The Palace has reportedly taken action to try and prevent future accidents from even happening in the first place by hiring a "female minder" to watch over Kate. The Duchess was also the subject of embarrassing photos taken while on vacation with William. Paparazzi took photos of Kate while she was topless and published them in French tabloids. The royal couple actually sued and won an injunction against further publication of those photographs.
"This is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the paparazzi during Diana's life and the more upsetting to the duke and duchess for being so," the couple said in a statement at the time.
The late Princess Diana had her own moments of embarrassment with the paparazzi, who were a constant in her life right up until her death. In one famous photo, a young Diana, not yet engaged to Prince Charles, posed for a photo with youth at the nursery school where she worked. As she stood against the sun, the light showed the outline of her legs, causing grief for the royal family.
