Princess Diana won a legal victory Wednesday that prevents further use or sale of pictures showing her working out in a London gym and gives the money the photographer would have earned for shooting the controversial hidden-camera photos to charity.
In a statement released early Wednesday morning, Diana's solicitors said all copies and negatives of the photographs, taken by gym owner Bryce Taylor and published in November 1993, would be destroyed."Her Royal Highness is pleased that her determined stance in defense of her right to privacy has been so completely vindicated," the statement from solicitors Mishcon de Reya said.
The out-of-court settlement also spared the princess of Wales from having to give evidence in the High Court next Monday in what would have been the first royal court appearance in more than 100 years.
Diana sued Taylor for breach of confidence and sued Mirror Group newspapers - which published the pictures in the tabloid Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers - for inducement to breach of contract.
The newspaper company was said to have paid Taylor more than 100,000 pounds ($155,000) for the photographs of the princess working out in a leotard and shorts at the L.A. Fitness club in west London.