British tabloid, The Sun, decided to publish photos of Prince Harry's naked foray in Las Vegas despite request from the Royal family, the paper said on Thursday.
Managing Editor David Dinsmore said the issue was one of "the freedom of the Press" and that the paper had thought carefully about its decision.
In a video to readers, Dinsmore added, "We've thought long and hard about this. The Sun is a responsible paper and it works closely with the Royal family. We take heed of their wishes. We're also big fans of Prince Harry, he does a huge amount of work for this country and for the military and for the image of both of those institutions."
The Sun, along with all British newspapers, received a legal letter from St. James's Palace on Wednesday urging editors not to use the infamous photos. The photos, which were released by American entertainment gossip site, TMZ are widely available online and have proven embarrassing for the Royal family.
The Royal family was not the only one to take offense over the publication of the photos. Reuters reported that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority was not happy that its "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" motto was broken.
In an ad placed in USA Today's Friday issue, the agency said, "FOR SHAME! To those who traded in their pledge to their Las Vegas brethren, we deplore you!"
According to Reuters, Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the convention, said in a statement, "Las Vegas is a place to celebrate adult freedom, freedom that even celebrities and royals can enjoy. For everyone's sake, it's important that 'What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.'"
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