Six little words that would have avoided a crisis: "Better keep your top on, love"
Peter Rhodes asks: Why was Kate topless in the first place?
There cannot be a young man in this whole world more aware of the threat from paparazzi with long lenses than Prince William, son of the late and much-snapped Princess Diana.
As a military officer, too, William should have been aware of the lie of the land around the villa, and the fact that it could be overlooked. If there is a great view out, there is also a great view in.
What a lot of bother he could have avoided by advising his wife: "Better keep your top on, love."
Instead, we are now faced with the prospect of a French court being urged by William and Kate to jail those responsible for the photographs and to prevent French citizens buying copies of a French magazine.
I cannot imagine anything more likely to irritate a proud republic than a couple of royals making strident demands on its legal system.
