LONDON 聴 The prince has no clothes 聴 but British newspapers aren聮t running the pictures.The country聮s scandal-loving tabloids devoted many pages Thursday to the story of Prince Harry聮s naked romp in a Las Vegas hotel suite. But all heeded a warning from royal officials that printing the images, already seen by millions on the Internet, would infringe on the prince聮s privacy.So while Ireland聮s Evening Herald ran the stark-naked prince on its front page, British newspapers made do with pictures of holiday Harry in bathing trunks and fedora hat.The Sun tabloid came up with the most creative solution, getting a staff member named Harry and a 21-year-old female intern to recreate the naked pose under the headline 聯Harry grabs the crown jewels.聰Bob Satchwell, head of industry group the Society of Editors, said papers were merely complying with editors聮 voluntary Code of Practice, which declares 聯it is unacceptable to photograph individuals in private places without their consent.聰But other media-watchers said a scandal that erupted a year ago over phone-hacking and other tabloid wrongdoing had tamed Britain聮s once-rambunctious press.Newspapers were exposed to a trial of public opinion as Judge Brian Leveson聮s media ethics inquiry heard from celebrities, politicians and crime victims who said their lives had been turned upside down by press intrusion.The scandal has killed one tabloid, the News of the World 聴 shut down by owner Rupert Murdoch after revelations about its illegal eavesdropping 聴 and tarnished the entire British media.With the inquiry considering whether to impose stricter limits on press freedom, many feel the tabloids are staying away from kiss-and-tells and celebrity scoops that they once would have relished.Neil Wallis, a former News of the World executive editor, said fallout from the hacking scandal had left newspapers 聯terrified of their own shadow.聰聯In this post-Leveson era ... they daren聮t do things that most of the country, if they saw it in the newspaper, would think 聮that聮s a bit of a laugh,聰聮 Wallis told the BBC.While newspapers including The Sun and the Daily Mirror proclaimed that the naked photos had been 聯banned,聰 that is not strictly true.Several media organizations around the world ran the two naked photos of the prince, which are being sold, according to British media reports, for about 10,000 pounds ($16,000).British outlets refrained, after receiving a warning Wednesday from palace officials.Prince Harry聮s office confirmed it had contacted the Press Complaints Commission, an industry watchdog, which in turn advised newspapers not to publish the pictures.Any paper that ran them risks being chastised by the commission, which can demand a newspaper publish an apology, but has no power to issue fines.They could also potentially be open to an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit from the prince.A letter to the watchdog from royal law firm Harbottle and Lewis warned that royal officials 聯entirely reserve their rights as to any future steps that they may take should publication take place.聰Once, editors might have risked it, arguing that publishing the images was in the public interest because Harry is a public 聴 and publicly funded 聴 figure.Satchwell acknowledged there was a risk Leveson聮s inquiry could chill press freedom. But he said newspapers were simply behaving responsibly over Harry.聯Of course freedom of the press is vitally, vitally important,聰 he said. 聯But just because you can publish something doesn聮t mean that you should.聰
