Did Kate Middleton accidentally let the cat out of the bag when it comes to whether she and Prince William are having a boy or a girl? During a public appearance this week, Middleton was given a teddy bear as a gift and said, “Thank you, I’ll take that for my d…” before cutting herself off, according to the Telegraph. Attendee Sandra Cook, who was standing beside Middleton, asked her, “You were going to say daughter, weren’t you?” to which Middleton reportedly replied, “No, I don’t know.” Cook says that when she pressed the Duchess of Cambridge further, she received a firm “We’re not telling” in response.

Taylor Swift is making some powerful enemies. In response to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey‘s joke at Swift’s expense at January’s Golden Globes ceremony. “You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people,” Swift tells Vanity Fair. “She said to me she had heard a quote that she loved that said, ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’” While Fey expressed surprise at Swift’s annoyance, Poehler has a response of her own: “Aw, I feel bad if she was upset,” Poehler tells the Hollywood Reporter. “I am a feminist, and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff.”

Lady Gaga‘s fans are continuing the singer’s feud with Madonna whether she wants them to or not, this time even accusing the “Material Girl” singer of helping the spread of AIDS. In a post on the Gaga fan blog Little Monster Artpop, a Gaga fan criticizes the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for picking Madonna to present an award to Anderson Cooper at their awards ceremony next week. “Back in the 1980s, she encouraged gay men to have unprotected sex,” read the post, which was removed shortly after garnering media attention. “While she certainly didn’t start the disease, she and her lack of morals helped it spread. The post’s author vowed to “strike back” in an unspecified manner if GLAAD did not choose another presenter.

James Franco is willing to admit he’s at least partially responsible for any speculation about whether he’s gay or straight. “One of the things that’s very much part of my public image is the question of my sexuality,” he tells Attitude magazine. “It’s not something that bothers me in the slightest. It hasn’t gone away, and I get asked about it from all sides. It’s partly my doing and partly not my doing.” From the roles he chooses to his directing efforts, homosexuality has been a popular topic for Franco. But what he’s really interested in is a high-profile actor coming out of the closet. “I think that the people I have known who are performers who haven’t publicly come out didn’t because they’re afraid it’ll hurt their careers,” he says. “And they’re afraid they won’t be able to play straight roles anymore. If there’s somebody that was well-respected and very secure with their career, I could see it happening in a very positive way.”

MTV has released its extensive “Hottest MCs” list, and Kanye West is not pleased to find himself sitting at the No. 7 spot. “I feel like for them to put me at No. 7, they had to bring up things they didn’t like,” he says during a call into New York’s Hot 97 radio station. “What happens with these type of things and the people that review it, when I come in and I have the pink polo and the backpack, I’m checking all the boxes of that a Tribe Called Quest era and all that, so they want to champion it. They don’t like Givenchy Kanye. They don’t like Kanye in a kilt, they don’t like Kanye in a relationship.”

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Jennifer Lawrence is now a Golden Globe-winning actress, but she’ll be celebrating solo, as Lawrence and “X-Men: First Class” co-star Nicholas Hoult have reportedly called it quits, according to Us Weekly. The young stars met on the set of the superhero film and dated for two years. The split comes as a surprise, as Lawrence was singing Hoult’s praises recently to Elle magazine. “He is honestly my best friend, and hopefully I’m his best friend, too,” she told the magazine. “He’s my favorite person to be around and he makes me laugh harder than anybody.”

Consider this fair warning, Harry Styles. In the wake of her split from the One Direction member, Taylor Swift posted this ominous message to her Twitter account: “Back in the studio. Uh oh…” Swift has made a career of penning autobiographical tunes of heartbreak, often embarrassing ex-boyfriends like John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhaal. And a Styles number may be a doozy, as Swift was reportedly left heartbroken by the Brit, who dumped her during a Caribbean vacation because he said she’s “asexual and wouldn’t put out,” a source tells Radar Online.

Josh Brolin doesn’t pull any punches when discussing his rough-and-tumble youth as the son of actor James Brolin, telling Men’s Journal that he lost his virginity at 11, joined a surf gang called the Cito Rats and even got involved with heroin. “I was the last [gang member] to get into heroin — I smoked it — and the first to get out. I was around 16 or 17, so it was around the time of ‘the Goonies,’” Josh tells the magazine. “But I liked working and learning, so it was very difficult for me to lend myself to that drug completely.”

We now know when to expect a royal birth announcement, as Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s first child is due this summer, St. James Palace announced. “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to confirm they are expecting a baby in July,” the statement reads. “The Duchess’s condition continues to improve since her stay in hospital last month.” As the statement says, the “baby” is due in July, so those hoping for royal twins will be disappointed.

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The 31-year-old, who as a glamorous future queen is one of the world’s most photographed women, is portrayed in the large canvas with a faint smile, long, copper-tinted hair and shadow under her eyes.

Award-winning artist Paul Emsley, surrounded by a scrum of international news crews at the National Portrait Gallery where the work was revealed, described the duchess as a “wonderful subject” and “generous as a person.

“The brief was that it should be a portrait which in some way expressed her natural self rather than her official self,” he said.

“When you meet her, that really is appropriate. She really is that kind of a person. She’s so nice to be with and it’s genuine and I felt if the painting can convey something of that then it will have succeeded.”

National Portrait Gallery staff said the duchess and her husband Prince William visited earlier on Friday and were “very pleased” with the outcome of a painting based on photographs taken at two sittings in May and June last year.

“Her family are also very pleased,” Emsley said. “To me that’s the ultimate test in a way, because they know her better than anyone else.”

WIDESPREAD CRITICISM

Public reaction was less positive, however, with views on Twitter and newspaper websites overwhelmingly negative.

Many comments focused on how the image had aged the duchess, herself a graduate in art history, while others took the artist to task for portraying her smiling slightly.

One Daily Mail reader from Canada summed up broader opinion in an unnamed comment.

“OMG, how awful! Rather than being overly flattering as many royal portraits are, this one is the extreme opposite. She’s barely recognizable! Poor Kate, forced to say she’s ‘thrilled’ when in all likelihood, she is as horrified as the rest of us.”

Sunday Times art critic Waldemar Januszczak called the portrait “pretty ordinary … He (Emsley) made her look older than she is and her eyes don’t sparkle in the way that they do and there’s something rather dour about the face.”

Glasgow-born Emsley, whose previous commissions included former South African President Nelson Mandela, knew he would be in the public eye when taking on a subject of the duchess’s stature as a royal and global celebrity.

“It’s probably the most important portrait I’ll ever do, and when you realize that, you do start to think rather carefully about what you’re doing perhaps more than you usually do, and that made me more cautious than I normally am.”

The duchess has recently been in the headlines after spending four days in hospital being treated for acute morning sickness having announced she was pregnant.

The National Portrait Gallery commissioned the painting of its patron, and it was given to the gallery by Hugh Leggatt through the Art Fund.

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Despite her recent pregnancy-related hospitalization, Kate Middleton is vowing to put on a brave face for the Royal Family’s Christmas dinner, according to Radar Online. “Kate doesn’t want to disappoint the Queen, nor does she want to skip on her duties,” a source says. “She feels she is obliged to appear at the annual Christmas dinner and doesn’t want to let anyone down.” Her husband, though, is offering an out. “William has his concerns though that she won’t be up to it, and told Kate she shouldn’t worry if she feels too sick to attend and that no one will judge her negatively,” the source adds. “But Kate isn’t having it and is determined to be at the dinner, smiling as always.”

Angelina Jolie is set to return to the director’s chair, choosing to adapt Laura Hillenbrand’s WWII survival story, “Unbroken,” as her second film, according to E! News. The story follows Louis Zamperini, an air force pilot who survived a crash and spent most of the war in a Japanese prison camp. “I read Laura Hillenbrand’s brilliant book and I was so moved by Louis Zamperini’s heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film,” Jolie says. Her directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” focused on the Bosnian war.

Gwen Stefani uses some interesting analogies when discussing reaching her 10th anniversary with husband Gavin Rossdale. “It’s fun to get to this point. Because you learn so much about somebody,” she tells Vogue. “It’s like these wars that go on and then you kind of get through to the other side, and it’s like, ‘Wow.’” The No Doubt singer also says she enjoys the compromise that comes from being parents. “Having kids takes the whole relationship to another place. It is the ultimate collaboration,” she says. “Both of us have such strong opinions about how it should be, and it’s really fun to do it together.”

Bubbles the Chimp, the furry longtime companion of Michael Jackson, has reportedly been dumped by the late singer’s family, according to the National Enquirer. The chimp has been relocated to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Fla., though Jackson’s children have yet to come visit. “Bubbles was not provided for in Michael Jackson’s will,” a spokeswoman for the Center says. “They Jackson family has turned their back on Bubbles.”

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Accompanied by her husband, Kate, 30, appeared at the steps of the hospital smiling and holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. Neither she nor William spoke to waiting reporters before being driven way.

Kate, who married the second-in-line to the throne in April last year, has been suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, an acute morning sickness which causes severe nausea and vomiting and requires supplementary hydration and nutrients.

There has been no announcement about when the baby is due, although the prince’s spokesman has said Kate is less than 12 weeks pregnant.

Kate, known formally as the Duchess of Cambridge, will now recuperate at Kensington Palace, a royal residence in west London, her husband’s office said.

“She is feeling better but now requires a period of rest,” a royal spokeswoman said. “Their royal highnesses would like to thank the staff at the hospital for the care and treatment the duchess has received,” the spokeswoman added.

The onset of the severe sickness and the need for Kate to go to hospital brought forward the announcement of her pregnancy, sparking a frenzy in the British media and even taking by surprise her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, according to reports.

Bookmakers have been quick off the mark to lay odds on a name for the unborn baby, who will be third in line to the British throne after William and his father Charles.

The government is passing legislation in time for the birth to change historic rules of succession so that males no longer have precedence over a female sibling.

There has even been speculation that Kate could be carrying twins, as the acute sickness she is suffering is slightly more common in twin pregnancies.

World leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama were swift to follow British Prime Minister David Cameron in sending their congratulations.

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It’s going to be a summer baby for Kate Middleton, according to Life & Style. “She’s due in July, which is a month full of significance for William,” a source says. “His mother, Diana, was born on July 1, and his parents got married on July 29.” As for who the godparents will be for the new prince or princess? Signs are pointing to Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton, according to ABC News. “Kate is very close to her sister, Pippa, and William is infinitely, in the same way, close to Prince Harry. So they are the obvious choice,” royal contributor Victoria Arbiter Brown says. “They were the best man and the chief bridesmaid at their wedding, they’re well-trusted, they’re family.”

Enough time has apparently passed for Jennifer Lopez to open up about the demise of her marriage to Marc Anthony. “I was going through a divorce and the breakup of a family, which was devastating to me because family means everything to me,” Lopez tells Hollywood Life of the breakup in July 2011. “I didn’t want to be the woman who stayed in bed for two months. I did do that a little, but I knew I had to get through it.”

Despite announcing in October that they’d separated, Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman aren’t actually all that separated — at least according to DeVito. When asked by Extra how he’s adjusting to life as a single man, DeVito says, “It’s not something you adjust to. Rhea and I are really close. Actually still together, just separate, but together.” In fact, DeVito insists divorce may not be in the cards for the “Cheers” alums. “We’re working on it,” he says when asked if a reconciliation might be on the way.

The recent hubbub over Angus T. Jones urging fans to stop watching his hit sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” and calling the show “filth” was apparently nothing the folks at CBS couldn’t handle, at least according to network head Les Moonves. “I don’t think [the Angus situation has] quite been resolved, but after going through what we went through with Charlie Sheen, it’s been a piece of cake,” Moonves says in a statement to TMZ.

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A pair of Australian radio hosts managed to don convincing enough British accents to pose as England’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles and get through to Kate Middleton’s personal nurse at King Edward VII hospital.

Aussie DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian of Sydney’s 2Day FM obtained a phone number to the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge is being treated for sickness related to her pregnancy. They were promptly connected to Middleton’s nurse after Greig, doing her best to mock the queen’s accent, asked to speak to her granddaughter.

Amidst snickers and a third radio personality barking in the background to mimic the royal Corgis, the hosts asked the nurse about Kate’s health and when they can visit her in the hospital.

“She’s sleeping at the moment and has had an uneventful night, she’s been given some fluids, she’s stable at the moment,” the nurse replied, seemingly oblivious to the rather comical impersonations.

The call went on for several minutes until the imposters bid farewell to the nurse, hanging up and erupting into laughter at the unexpected success of the prank.

The stunt prompted swift criticism from listeners who were outraged at the hosts’ attempt to invade the privacy of the royal family. Predictably, the hospital wasn’t amused either.

“This call was transferred through to a ward and a short conversation was held with one of the nursing staff. King Edward VII’s Hospital deeply regrets this incident,” a spokesman for the hospital said, according to TNT magazine.

John Lofthouse, the hospital’s chief executive added, “This was a foolish prank call that we all deplore.”

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“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby,” the office said in a statement.

“The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.”

The couple, officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, married in April last year, prompting a global media frenzy and there has been much speculation, particularly in U.S. gossip magazines, about a possible pregnancy.

The statement said Catherine was in the King Edward VII Hospital in Central London suffering from very acute morning sickness. She is likely to remain there for several days.

It said her condition required supplementary hydration and nutrients. There was no detail about when the baby was due, with the statement stating the pregnancy was in its early stages.

“I’m delighted by the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby,” Prime Minister David Cameron said on his Twitter website. “They will make wonderful parents.”

William, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, is second in line to the British throne, and their first child will become the third in succession when he or she is born.

Last year Britain and other Commonwealth countries which have the queen as their monarch agreed to change the rules of royal succession so that sons would no longer have precedence as heir, regardless of age.

The agreement also means an end to a ban on a future monarch marrying a Catholic, a stipulation dating back some 300 years.

William and Catherine currently live in north Wales where the prince is based as a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot.

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Justin Bieber may be newly single, but that didn’t mean he had to attend the American Music Awards solo. Instead, the 18-year-old Canadian pop star showed up with his mom, 38-year-old Pattie Mallette. While he made no mention of his split from Selena Gomez, Bieber did address his critics after winning his first award of the night, for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. “I want to say this is for all the haters who thought I was just here for one of two years,” Bieber said from the stage. “I feel like I’m going to be here for a very long time.”

A close friend of Prince William and Kate Middelton insists the royal couple is set to announce something big next month, prompting speculation that a baby is on the way. “They’re planning to make an announcement in December,” Jessica Hay, a former schoolmate of Middleton’s and a guest at their wedding, tells New Idea magazine, adding that the Duchess of Cambridge has gained a bit of weight recently and that “William and Kate are focused on starting a family.” How focused, exactly? They’ve apparently already discussed the number of children they want to have — two — and that they’d prefer a son and then a daughter. “It seems very traditional but of course they’ll be happy with two boys or two girls. They don’t want more,” Hay says. “They’ve discussed it endlessly and don’t want to be older parents.”

As Taylor Swift‘s new album, “Red,” tears up the charts, insiders are beginning to decipher exactly which of her failed relationships different songs on it around about — and one source insists to Us Weekly that song “All Too Well” is about Swift’s time dating Jake Gyllenhaal. “It’s safe for her and it’s something she loves,” the source says of Swift’s tendency to mine past relationships for material. “She goes back to it because it’s something she’s good at — and she’s not good at love.”

As an actress and a newly single mom, Katie Holmes has a number of talents, but apparently cooking isn’t one of them. “Me in the kitchen is a comedy, but it’s heartbreaking for me going through it,” she tells Vogue. “But for others, they probably think it’s really funny, because all the pans are out and I get frustrated, and suddenly it’s burning.” We’ll assume someone else is handling the Thanksgiving meal for Holmes this year.

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While Amanda Bynes should be focused on her legal woes and driving difficulties, she apparently only has one thing on her mind: fellow Hollywood troublemaker Lindsay Lohan. “She obsessively hates Lindsay,” a source tells Us Weekly. “She rambles about ‘that bitch Lindsay’ all the time.” But while Lohan previously tweeting her disbelief at how much Bynes gets away with, a rep for the “Mean Girls” star insists “there is no feud” between the two.

It looks like Rihanna just can’t keep away from Chris Brown — even if he is supposedly dating model Karrueche Tran. The infamous exes were spotted at NYC nightclub the Griffin this week “hugging and kissing,” a source tells Celebuzz. “And they went to the back of the club alone together.” And Brown was spotted early the next morning sneaking out of the hotel where Rihanna is staying. The public displays of affection did not go over so well with Tran, apparently. “She felt the kiss was a public slap in the face,” a source tells Us Weekly.

Taylor Swift may be a young and successful pop star, but she apparently likes to party like an old lady. The 22-year-old singer and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Conor Kennedy, were spotted on a fairly subdued date in Deerfield, Mass., recently, grabbing an early dinner before checking out some area antique stores, according to Perez Hilton. The couple seemed “very nice and a little bit shy,” according to an employee at Old Station Antiques.

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Danish tabloid Se Og Hor has published photos that show Middleton bent over after removing her swim suit bottoms. The pictures, featured on Egotastic, are grainy and were obviously shot from a substantial distance. They were reportedly taken by paparazzi while the couple was in France last month.

They surface in the wake of fury at the royal palace after the French magazine Closer first published topless photos of Middleton two weeks ago. The royal couple obtained a court injunction that prevented the magazine from distributing the photos ever again, though other European tabloids had already begun re-printing them.

Se Og Hor’s editor, Kim Henningsen, has said that the tabloid does not fear legal wrath from the royal family.

“It’s a set of unique photos from an A-class celebrity,” Henningsen said. “We are a leading gossip magazine in Denmark, and it is my job to publish them. If the British royal family want to sue us, then it will happen then and we’ll deal with it.”

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According to CNN, a Swedish gossip magazine published the photos, followed by its sister publication in Denmark, Se och Hoer.

After the photos first appeared in Closer, they were republished by an Italian magazine and an Irish newspaper.

The series of grainy photos, which appear to be shot from a distance with a long-range lens, show the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing along side her husband, Prince William, on the balcony of a private residence in the south of France. She removed her top and at one point was captured bending over, pulling down the back of her bikini bottoms, while her husband put sunscreen on her buttocks.

“It’s a set of unique photos from an A-class celebrity,” Se Og Hor Danish editor Kim Henningsen said. “We are a leading gossip magazine in Denmark, and it is my job to publish them. If the British royal family want to sue us, then it will happen then and we’ll deal with it.”

The royal couple won an court battle on Monday, which resulted in an injunction against the original publisher, Closer, barring it from any future use of the photos. The magazine was ordered to give the original photos back to Kate Middleton and Prince William. Closer was also fined about $2,600 and ordered to pay $10,000 per day for each day they failed to hand over the photos following the ruling.

The couple also filed a criminal complaint against the magazine and the photographer for invasion of privacy. A guilty verdict could mean jail time for Closer’s publisher.

Meanwhile, the royal couple has appeared to be all smiles during a tour through the South Pacific this week.

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Kate Middleton and her husband, Prince William, have won their first court victory in the wake of Closer magazine publishing topless photos of Middleton, according to the Guardian. A French court has ordered an injunction preventing any further use of the images by the publication. The photos must be handed over within 24 hours, and the magazine’s publishing company will be fined $13,000 a day if it publishes more of them or sends them to a third party. A separate criminal investigation has been launched to see if the magazine violated William and Kate’s privacy by publishing the photos. A guilty verdict could lead to jail time for Closer’s editor.

As stories of her erratic behavior mount, Amanda Bynes apparently she has no plans to enter rehab despite reports earlier this week that she would, according to E! News. After having her car impounded Sunday, Bynes has been using taxis and car services to run errands around town, including a shopping trip in West Hollywood during which witnesses say she locked herself in a store dressing room for two hours and “wouldn’t stop talking to herself.” While rehab might not be in her immediate future, court is: Bynes is expected before a judge Friday for a hearing on her pending DUI cases. She has also been charged separating for two hit-and-run incidents.

One Direction member Niall Horan is putting to rest rumors that he is dating singer and American “X Factor” judge Demi Lovato. “Traveling around the world and all the promo that we do — it doesn’t leave time for a girlfriend. It really doesn’t. Demi is really cool and we’re really good friends,” the 19-year-old Irishman tells the Daily Mirror.

Snowboarder and Olympic gold medalist Shaun White was reportedly arrested for public intoxication in a hotel in Nashville, TN, according to TMZ, though he was briefly hospitalized before heading to jail. White reportedly trashed his hotel room, and when hotel staff confronted him, he set off several fire alarms and attempted to flee on foot, eventually falling and sustaining a head injury. After receiving medical treatment, he was booked on counts of public intoxication and vandalism.

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Closer, a weekly round-up of celebrity gossip, ran a dozen shots of the Duchess, seen here on Egotastic, as she slipped off her bikini top, relaxed on a sun lounger and at one point pulled down the back of her bikini bottoms as William rubs sun cream on her.

Under the headline “Oh my God!”, the photos show the couple, whose regal yet natural conduct since their April wedding has won them fans worldwide, soaking up the sun on the balcony of a 19th century hunting lodge, oblivious to lurking paparazzi.

The spread is a blow to Buckingham Palace as it tries to move on from a scandal over naked shots of Prince Harry that tarred an image bolstered by Kate and William’s wedding, the Queen’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee and her Olympic Games appearance.

While Closer defended its decision to publish the photographs, a royal spokesperson called it a grotesque move that had upset the royal couple, currently touring southeast Asia, and said Buckingham Palace was consulting lawyers.

“Their Royal Highnesses have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner,” a spokesperson for St James’ Palace said.

“Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them.”

Closer’s editor-in-chief Laurence Pieau described the photos as a “beautiful series” that showed a couple in love and were in no way degrading. She said the magazine had more intimate shots from the same series that it opted not to publish.

“There’s been an over-reaction to these photos. What we see is a young couple, who just got married, who are very much in love, who are splendid,” Pieau told French BFM television.

“She’s a real 21st Century princess,” she added: “It’s a young woman who is topless, the same as you can see on any beach in France or around the world.”

WINDSORS TAKE THEIR CLOTHES OFF

Closer, published by Italian company Mondadori, would likely lose any legal case over invasion of privacy, although profits from the issue would likely far exceed any fine faced, likely just a few thousand euros.

“It’s without a doubt an invasion of privacy,” said Christopher Mesnooh, a U.S. lawyer who practices in France.

“They were on vacation in a friend’s chateau. There was no expectation the press would be there. So visibly they have been damaged by the fact the pictures were taken and it is likely a French court would rule in that direction.”

The publication — which set off a stream of mostly angry commentary on twitter — reopens a debate over the privacy of Britain’s royal family and the freedom of the press weeks after a U.S. website published grainy photos of William’s younger brother Harry cavorting naked in a Las Vegas hotel room.

“Harry started the fashion: these days the Windsors take their clothes off,” the French magazine quipped in the photo spread, which it claimed as a world exclusive on the couple’s mini-vacation in early September.

Dubbing the affair “nipplegate” in some cases, a torrent of twitter commentary on both sides of the English Channel mostly chided Closer for running the shots.

A spoof account for Queen Elizabeth, @Queen_UK, which has nearly a million followers, tweeted “Dear The Sun, Don’t even sodding think about it,” in a mock threat to the British tabloid newspaper that published the nude photos of Prince Harry.

The photos of Harry stained a positive image the Royal family has carefully crafted as it worked to turn the page on Princess Diana’s death in 1997 and a raft of scandals at the time including Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson having her toes sucked by a U.S. businessman as she sunbathed topless.

Royal sources said the photo spread was a flashback to the paparazzi chases of Princess Diana, William’s mother, making it even more painful for him. “There is a feeling of anger and disbelief,” one source said. “We feel there has been a red line crossed with regard to publishing these images.”

William and Kate were staying at the Chateau d’Autet near Aix-en-Provence in the Luberon region, whose picture-postcard villages, rolling lavender fields and vineyards have made it a favorite getaway spot for wealthy foreigners.

At one point the Duchess, clearly recognizable in the slightly fuzzy images, stands up and partly peels down her bikini bottoms as William rubs sun lotion on her back.

“The last time we saw Kate and William on a balcony it was for their wedding. But they had more clothes on,” reads one photo caption. Another says: “People always say she doesn’t need to dress up to look good. Well … Kate is proving this.”

Closer said Kate was also spotted smoking a cigarette on the way out of Marseille airport, where the pair arrived on a commercial flight.

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3. Will Kate be the new maternity style icon?
Beyonce Knowles has had tabloids chronicling every roomy blouse she wears for months. But now that Blue Ivy has arrived, that game is up. Who’s next? We bet it’s the Duchess of Cam­bridge; a Kate Middleton bump is clearly in demand. A British toy company even has a pregnant Kate doll in the works after being flooded with requests. Yes, there are people who care that much.

4. Will Dior finally announce a new designer?
The next round of fashion weeks is just around the corner, and there’s still no confirmation on those rumors that Jil Sander’s creative director Raf Simons will be taking over at the house of Christian Dior. But when an announcement of any sort happens, it will be big for a number of reasons — chiefly, the round of  musical chairs it will  kick off in the design career world.

5. Will the fashion blogger bubble burst?
The number of fashion bloggers reaching Internet fame grows by the download. But how many can your Google Reader realistically hold? As the new crop rotates from season to season, it will be interesting to see which ones join the likes of The Sartorialist and Bryanboy to achieve real staying power.

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It only took five years and two children together, but Matthew McConaughey is now sure he wants to settle down with Camila Alves. “Just asked Camila to marry me. Merry Christmas,” McConaughey posted on his WhoSay page on Christmas Day, accompanied by a photo of the pair kissing. There’s no word on when the wedding will take place, but chances are the happy couple aren’t in any hurry.

Saldana and Cooper: It’s on!

After splitting with her fiance of 11 years in November, Zoe Saldana has reportedly moved on to People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, Bradley Cooper, according to E! News. “They are totally dating,” a source says of the pair, who co-star in the upcoming film “The Words.” The source adds that the pair is trying to keep the budding relationship under wraps.

The Royal couple keeps things low-key

Prince William and his wife, Kate Middelton, decided to cancel a holiday ski trip because of the continuing recession, according to Us Weekly. “The palace thinks it would send a bad message to be away during this time,” a source says. The royal couple instead spent Christmas with the Queen before spending the rest of the holiday week with Middleton’s family. 

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A source confirmed to Access Hollywood that Bieber is going to take a DNA test when he returns from Europe, where he is attending the MTV Europe Music Awards with girlfriend Selena Gomez.

Yeater claims she became pregnant during an encounter in a bathroom with Bieber after a concert last year (romantic!). The star “went from cute and gushy to just … more aggressive,” says Yeater in an interview with “The Insider” about their alleged 30 seconds of unprotected sex, which she says resulted in the birth of her son.

Bieber has denied the claims, telling the “Today” show recently that he’s “never met the woman.”

He’s not stopping at proving his innocence, either: Once the test comes back vindicating the Canadian pop star, his team plans to hit Yeater with a hefty lawsuit “to show there are consequences when somebody trumps up phony, hurtful allegations against a celebrity,” a source says.

What is up with Kate Middleton’s stomach?

It seems Kate Middleton can’t make a move without sparking pregnancy rumors. First, while visiting a UNICEF facility in Copenhagen, the Duchess of Cambridge declined to eat peanut paste, a food expectant mothers are usually advised to avoid. Her body language later in the visit only prompted further speculation. “It was very odd,” a source tells the Daily Mail. “Kate would not stop touching her tummy — it was very noticeable. She continually patted it and held her hands against it. She must have been doing it without realizing, and at one point she had both her hands cradling her stomach.”

And yes, this is just a thinly veiled: “Is Kate Middleton pregnant or just constipated” gossip item.

For more gossip news visit Dorothy Robinson’s Word blog. Follow her on Twitter @DorothyatMetro.

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According to the latest edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, the April 29 ceremony at Westminster Abbey was watched online by 72 million viewers, earning it the title for “Most Live Streams for a Single Event.”

Like its predecessors, this year’s edition of the 56-year-old annual reference book is chock full of all kinds of examples of extraordinary achievement, high and low. And Middleton, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge, isn’t the only royal in there.

Celebrities were among this year’s winners. Lady Gaga’s 11 million Twitter followers won her the record for most followers on Twitter while her song “Poker Face” won the most weeks on the U.S. digital hot songs chart.

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William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have taken it upon themselves to do a little re-gifting, starting with a Land Rover they received as a wedding present earlier this year, according to the Associated Press. The royal couple has donated the vehicle to Mountain Rescue England and Wales. “The vehicle will be greatly appreciated,” a spokesman for Glossop Mountain Rescue Team, the regional team that ended up with the new ride, said in a statement. “Our present vehicle only has a shelf life of about six months, and we were embarking on a major fundraising exercise to raise more than £45,000 to replace it.”

Eddie Murphy to host Oscars

The  rumor has been confirmed: Eddie Murphy will, indeed, host the 84th annual Academy Awards. “I am enormously honored to join the great list of past Academy Award hosts from Hope and Carson to Crystal, Martin and Goldberg, among others,” the actor said in a statement. It won’t be his first time at the ceremony. In 2006, Murphy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his acclaimed role in “Dreamgirls,” although the Oscar went to Alan Arkin of “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Adele keeps it real

Adele, who has had to cancel several tour dates this year due to illness, apparently doesn’t do so well on the road even when she’s feeling healthy. “I puke quite a lot before going onstage,” she tells British Vogue, admitting that there is a bright side to it. “The bigger the freak-out, the more I enjoy the show.” But no one should mistake the singer’s nerves and anxiety for issues about her weight, of which she says she has none. “I’ve seen people where it rules their lives, who want to be thinner or have bigger boobs, and how it wears them down,” she previously said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I don’t want that in my life. I have insecurities, of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.”

For more gossip news visit Dorothy Robinson’s Word blog. Follow her on Twitter @DorothyatMetro.

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The gown, which was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen’s fashion house, can be seen on public tours at the palace for the annual Summer Opening beginning Saturday, July 23. Her Royal Highness played a significant role is the design of the gown that became the envy of brides-to-be across the globe.

Also on display are the handmade shoes Middleton wore with the gown, made with ivory duchess satin and lace. The exhibit will also feature the earrings Kate’s parents gave her to wear on her wedding day. Inspired by the Middleton family’s coat of arms and designed by Robinson Pelham, they are stylized leaves set with diamonds and pave set diamond acorns. The earrings were made to match the Halo Tiara lent to Kate by Queen Elizabeth II, who received it from her own mother as an 18th birthday gift.

Tickets for the tour are $28.50 and include access to 19 state rooms and several other featured exhibits. The tour concludes on October 3.

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