LONDON (Reuters)
Buckingham Palace Wednesday angrily condemned as "premeditated cruelty" the publication of a topless picture of royal bride-to-be Sophie Rhys-Jones in a
British tabloid newspaper.
The top-selling Sun splashed a photograph of TV presenter Chris
Tarrant playing the fool with Rhys-Jones in the back
of a car over 10 years ago and yanking her bikini top to reveal
a bare breast.
Rhys-Jones, 34, said the scandal would ruin her wedding to the
Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, and Tarrant
accused the press of trying to bury the royal couple's marriage.
"This has ruined my engagement. This (wedding) was supposed to
be the happiest day of my life," the Daily Mail quoted Rhys-Jones as saying.
It said she felt "utter betrayal" at the expose and Edward was
"totally disgusted and livid".
She is due to marry Prince Edward -- seventh in line to the
British throne -- at Windsor Castle near London on June 19.
Her former work colleague Kara Noble, who took the photograph
and sold it to the tabloid for as much as $400,000,
was sacked by her employer, radio station Heart FM, following
the revelation.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman told Reuters: "This is
premeditated cruelty. It is a gross invasion of privacy and not
in the public interest."
Rhys-Jones's public relations business partner Murray Harkin
said Sophie -- who did not go to work because of the
scandal -- was extremely distressed.
