Can someone please explain the Kate Middleton bikini pic outrage?

Yesterday, an Italian gossip magazine published photos of (pregnant) Kate Middleton in a bikini.

The Duchess of Cambridge was shown in a bright blue bikini on the cover of the magazine. St. James’s Palace said that the photos were a “clear breach of the couple’s right to privacy.”

Vanessa Raphaely is the editorial director of South Africa’s leading women’s magazines including Oprah, Cosmo and Marie Claire. She’s written about the magazine’s decision to publish the photos of Kate Middleton…

By VANESSA RAPHAELY

Tell me this, please.

Someone! Why is it worse to take photos of HRH The Duchess of Middleton frolicking in the sea, in her bikini, than it is to take pictures of any other celeb?

There has massive outrage and threats of court action against any magazine printing these snatched images of her “baby bump.”

William HQ / Buckingham palace is “outraged.”

(Gosh. They’re always bloody outraged these days.)

But something is not quite fair:

We hear the roars of that outrage from media outlets who gaily print images of pretty much everyone else on the very same page they report it.  (Er. That would be YOU, Daily Mail.)

I (and I suspect that this will not be a popular POV,) think she should be treated the same as every other celeb: She’s The Primo Ultimo Celeb, after all.

Not a saint.

Not a victim.

Not a child.

Not a person who didn’t ask for the attention.

Of course, we can all agree that tabloid intrusion into celebrities lives is NOT A GOOD THING but, that being a fact of life, why should every other “star” on the planet be fair game and this particular one, not be?

Do any of us, truly believe that the Royals deserve any different treatment than any other very rich, powerful and privileged people?

I don’t.

I’m sorry. I’ve got no time for all this serf-like deference, this crawling forelock-tugging.

Just because she married someone who was just born into it … she’s still not better than anyone else.

In a dream world of course, we could leave the celebs to frolic on the sands of their expensive resorts (in her case paid for by the UK tax payer,) in blissful privacy. (I live for the day when none of us are interested in any of them, myself included.)

It would be nice to  starve the lot of us out… perhaps we could find some other entertainment.

But if that’s not to happen?

Publish away.

This was originally published on Vanessa’s website here and has been republished with permission.

Vanessa Raphaely is Editor of South African Cosmopolitan and Editorial Director of Associated Magazines, publishers of Marie Claire, O, The Oprah Magazine and House and Leisure. Visit Vanessa’s website here.

Editor of iVillage.com.au, Alana House, agrees with Vanessa. She loves seeing pictures of pregnant women in bikinis – and not only has she written about it here, she’s also encouraging readers to send in pictures of themselves pregnant in bikinis. We’d love Mamamia readers to get involved too. Go here to see the gallery (which includes a picture of Mia) and join in.