What's a little near-nudity between friends?
Enough for Princess Diana to cancel her support for Gianni Versace's new charity fashion book - a snub that the Italian designer answered by canceling his London benefit for the book.Diana said Friday she is pulling out of the Feb. 18 launch party and withdrawing a signed foreword to the book because she fears it will offend her former in-laws.
The book, "Rock and Royalty," deliberately juxtaposes pictures of near-naked male fashion models and celebrities with photographs of the royal family, the British news agency Press Association said.
A photograph of the late Duke of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II's uncle who abdicated, faces a picture of British soccer player Ryan Giggs, who is wearing a crown and apparently exposing his genitals, the agency said.
Versace said reports of nude photos are "misleading."
To "protect Diana," Versace said he was canceling a benefit dinner and sending the money he would have spent to Elton John's AIDS Foundation.
Diana said she agreed last year to be associated with the project.
"I had an interest in this foundation and was pleased to support Mr. Versace's book. I was assured that the book would not contain material which would cause offense and I therefore signed the foreword," Press Association quoted the princess as saying.
"Earlier this week I saw a copy for the first time. I am extremely concerned that the book may cause offense to members of the royal family,' she said.