As the world collectively attempts to move on from the somewhat startling sight of Prince Harry in his birthday suit, a blame game as to how the pictures were leaked in the first place is underway.
Two royal bodyguards will reportedly questioned over claims they failed to prevent guests taking photos of the prince in the nude during his Las Vegas holiday.
It comes following a report by TMZ that the prince’s minders did nothing more than “lackadaisically” address the women taking the snaps with a somewhat feeble “awww, come on… no photos”.
The naked pictures scandal has left Prince Harry red-faced...but who's to blame?
The website claims the women were not asked to surrender their mobile phones upon entering the prince’s private suite.
Princess Diana’s former royalty protection officer Ken Wharfe on Friday told The Evening Standard: “The moment you invite unknown people into your hotel room there is a question of invasion of privacy and as far as security is concerned it is potentially dangerous.
“If one of these girls had planted drugs or had a knife rather than taken pictures then the officers would be in serious trouble. There should have been better security.”
Yet while Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has been briefed personally on the matter, he told The Telegraph it was not the job of royal protection officers to oversee the 27-year-old prince’s behaviour.
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The BBC quotes a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police as saying none of the prince’s police protection officers are facing disciplinary action over the matter.
He added: “As you would expect, senior officers have been briefed about the situation.”
Meanwhile American website RadarOnline is running exclusive quotes from a source who suggests the prince himself is “furious” with his security team.
It said: “Harry cannot believe that his 24-hour royally-appointed security allowed this to happen.
“When revellers are invited back to the suite of any famous celebrity for a party, you would expect any recording equipment like cameras or phones to be confiscated by the bodyguards.
The row comes as The Sunbecame the first British newspaper to publish the pictures – having bought them for the “bargain” of £10,000.
The newspaper argued the move was in the public interest and was a "crucial" test of Britain's free press, despite a request made via the press watchdog to respect Harry’s privacy.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid said it was carrying the pictures in Friday's edition so the millions of people who get their news in print or have no internet access could "take a full part in that national conversation".
Managing editor David Dinsmore said the paper had "thought long and hard" about whether to use the pictures and said it was an issue of freedom of the press rather than because it was moralising about Harry's actions.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens has speculated The Sun will become the “pariahs of Fleet Street” for its decision.
See some pics of Prince Harry wearing clothes!
