Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesPoor Kate Middleton. She just can't catch a break.
Chi, the Italian tabloid that printed those infamous topless sunbathing pics of the Duchess of Cambridge back in September, is vehemently defending its decision to publish photos of the pregnant royal in a bikini while on holiday with Prince William on the Caribbean island of Mustique.
"They are images of such unexceptional normality that there is only limited mention of them on the cover of the magazine," Chi's editor, Alfonso Signorini, told the BBC. "The photographs, which can in no way be considered scandalous, were bought from an international photo agency, do not harm the image of the protagonists and the reaction of the media seems to me wholly over the top."
He continued: "Moreover, the photographs can hardly be considered an invasion of privacy when the subjects are public figures in a public place, in the open air; specifically on a beach surrounded by other bathers."
Signorini also noted that the Italian press does not have the kind of "gentlemen's agreement" that U.K. rags have with the royal family in which they'll refrain from publishing certain photos of the couple during intimate times together.
"What our readers will see is simply a moment of joyful relaxation being enjoyed by a smiling, happy couple. Where's the scandal in that?" he said.
In a statement yesterday, St. James's Palace expressed "disappointment" that the photos were going to be published, noting it was "a clear breach of the couple's right to privacy."
Chi's issue hits newsstands in Italy on Wednesday, but it's not the only publication planning to run the baby bump pics. An Australian glossy, Woman's Day, also plans to print the shots in a new issue out Monday.
Meanwhile, in more fallout from the photo controversy, British broadcaster ITV is apologizing for showing an unblurred image of the Chi magazine cover on Wednesday's This Morning program.
"Unfortunately we accidentally showed an unblurred image of the magazine cover, which briefly showed the photographs," read a statement from the network. "This was a deeply regrettable error and we are very sorry. We apologize unreservedly to the Duke and the Duchess."
The show's host offered an on-air mea culpa as well.