Prince William Was 'Ready to Go to War' After Topless Kate Middleton 2012 Vacation Photos Leaked, Book Claims

Prince William was prepared to confront the press after topless sunbathing photos of Kate Middleton surfaced during their 2012 vacation.

In his new book, royal expert Russell Myers shared how the future king felt when the snapshots went public months after their 2011 wedding.

According to the book, Kate, 44, and William, 43, took a trip to the South of France where their "world came crashing down" once the French magazine Closer leaked the topless photos.

William was distraught over the "the utter violation" and quickly made "frantic" calls to his father, the then-Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II.

While the Duke of Cambridge wanted to sue the magazine, he also wanted to take legal action "all the way" over their "monstrous behavior."

"Years before, William had gone against the grain when he warned the Fleet Street photographers that he would not tolerate a life of intrusion," Myers wrote. "This time, he was ready to go to war with the press."

His "anger was palpable" as he was "under unimaginable stress" over his wife's invasion of privacy.

"Palace staff reacted furiously, suggesting the clock had been turned back 15 years to the dark days of Princess Diana being hounded to her death by the paparazzi," Myers penned.

"Aides, describing the publication as ‘grotesque and totally unjustifiable,’ said the couple [was] ‘livid’ and felt ‘violated,’ and would pursue full criminal proceedings," the book states.

William also told his lawyers to sue the publication for the maximum possible damages, which would be donated to charity thereafter.

"Sources close to the prince suggest he felt a deep sense of personal responsibility over the issue, questioning whether he had offered too much of his life to the press, and whether the event would have happened if he had previously taken a stronger stance with the media," the book said.

In 2017, the outlet was ordered by the courts to pay the pair approximately $117,000 in damages.

Myers recently divulged to Fox News why William was adamant on protecting Kate. "[At the beginning of the relationship], she felt, ‘If I’m going to put myself forward for something like this, then I not only need the support of William, but also the support of the institution,’" he said.

"And as I tell in the book, William was absolutely integral to that, to say to her, ‘I will support you,’ and to have the mechanism of the Palace supporting her as well," he noted.