This Day in History | 1992 Duchess of York in photos row

Intimate photographs of the Duchess of York and a Texan businessman, John Bryan, have been published in a tabloid newspaper.
The pictures, run by the Daily Mirror over 10 pages, show a topless Duchess of York and Mr Bryan embracing by a swimming pool in the south of France.
Other photographs appear to show Mr Bryan kissing the duchess’ foot.
The duchess is currently separated from her husband Prince Andrew.
However, she has always maintained that Mr Bryan was merely her “financial adviser”.
The pictures were taken by an Italian freelance photographer using a telephoto lens.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the Queen was dismayed by the decision of the Daily Mirror and other tabloids to publish the photographs.
A palace spokesman said: “We strongly disapprove of the publication of photographs taken in such circumstances.”
However, the editor of the Daily Mirror is defending its action.
Richard Stott said the pictures revealed the hypocrisy surrounding the duchess’ relationship with Mr Bryan.
The Duchess of York has spent the day at Balmoral in Scotland with other members of the Royal Family.
John Bryan was in London with an army of reporters and photographers besieging his flat.
Mr Bryan made no comment as he left at lunchtime.
The Texan had asked the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) to intervene before the publication of the photos.
But the PCC said it would not censor a newspaper in advance of publication.
It would also not decide whether publication was in the public interest unless it got a formal complaint, the PCC added.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The romance with John Bryan came after rumours in 1990 that the Duchess of York was involved with another American, oil tycoon Steve Wyatt.
John Bryan later sold a ‘kiss and tell’ account of his time with the duchess for £250,000.
The Duke and Duchess of York divorced in April 1996.
They lived in separate apartments at their former marital home, Sunninghill Park for some years, after financial difficulties forced the duchess to move back in.
They both dated other people but in 1999 Fergie told a newspaper “there was no reason for Andrew and I to get divorced” and hinted that they might one day remarry.