Prince William supports Kate Middleton amid lingering pain over leaked photos

Prince William is standing by his wife Kate Middleton as her 2012 leaked photos still haunt her and she fears her children might be exposed to them if they use the internet.

According to a report by Radar Online, the Princess of Wales supports Kate in setting clear rules for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis regarding use of cellphones and internet.

Speaking with the publication, friends of William revealed that he saw how much the photos, featuring the Princess sans a top which were illegally taken and published in a French magazine, upset Kate.

The insider shared that William wants to protect their kids from the same kind of online exposure. 

"William saw how much the exposure of those topless photos devastated Kate and he doesn't want his kids anywhere near the toxic side of the Internet – the trolling, the gossip, or the cruel curiosity that still surrounds those images," they said.

This comes after William told Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck at the Cop30 summit in Rio that his and Kate’s kids do not have cellphones.

"Our children don't have phones. And to be honest, it's getting to the point where it's becoming a little bit of a tense issue,” the Prince of Wales said.

“When George moves to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no Internet access. But I think he understands why. We communicate why we don't think it's right. It's the internet access I have a problem with."

Another reason of not giving kids’ access to phones or internet is to protect them from the antics of former prince Andrew and the drama surrounding his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

"The Princess of Wales has been very clear – smartphones drive families apart. William and Kate believe children should be talking and connecting, not glued to screens,” another insider said.

"Kate is determined her children grow up grounded and shielded from the same invasive world that once hurt her. For her, this isn't simply a rule – it's a way of keeping them safe."