London ( CNN ) -- The editor of an Italian magazine that has caused an uproar by publishing vacation photos of a bikini-clad Catherine , Duchess of Cambridge , with her baby bump visible accused the international media Wednesday of overreacting . Chi Editor-in-Chief Alfonso Signorini said the photos were not scandalous , do not `` wrong the image '' of the royal couple and `` portray a couple in love in a happy moment while they are walking on the beach . '' The photos were taken on a public beach and bought from an international agency , he said . `` We can not talk about violation of privacy when we publish pictures of public people in a public place , out in the open as it is the case of a beach that is visited by other people , '' he said . St. James 's Palace -- which represents Catherine , her husband , Prince William , and his brother , Harry -- responded with dismay Tuesday to news that the photos would be released . `` We are disappointed that photographs of the Duke and Duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas , '' a palace representative said . `` This is a clear breach of the couple 's right to privacy . '' Despite the royal family 's objections , an Australian magazine said it too would be publishing the images . Woman 's Day said it had won Australian publishing rights after two days of `` furious bidding '' between three magazines . `` It 's ticking all the boxes , it 's Kate who we love and adore , who 's a fantastic cover girl , a great seller . It 's a bikini shot , a beach shot , beautiful crystal blue water . And she 's pregnant . It 's the bump that we 've been waiting to see for such a long time , '' Woman 's Day editor Fiona Connolly told Australia 's Ten News . It was not immediately clear when or exactly where the pictures were taken . British and U.S. media -- including People , like CNN a division of Time Warner -- reported that the royal couple recently vacationed on the secluded Caribbean isle of Mustique . Connolly said the images were taken at a public beach where the royal couple was mingling with other holidaymakers , describing the decision to publish them as `` very easy . '' She added : `` Australians are so much more laid back about seeing bikinis and beach shots than the British are . I think there 's a bit of hypersensitivity over this particular set ( of photos ) . '' UK newspapers did not reproduce the images but wrote of the royal couple 's anguish about the breach of privacy . And broadcaster ITV issued an apology after its `` This Morning '' show `` accidentally showed an unblurred image of the magazine cover , which briefly showed the photographs . `` This was a deeply regrettable error and we are very sorry , '' it said . On Tuesday , Chi described the photos as `` extraordinary images of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their dream holiday in the Caribbean . '' `` The future mum , now in her fourth month of pregnancy , wears a small bikini that enhances her now visible bump , '' the magazine said . The Duchess , whose maiden name is Kate Middleton , has kept a low profile since the announcement in December that she is set to give birth to her first child in July . Images showing any evidence of a baby bump have been hard to come by in that time . The Chi photos , though , are not her first encounter with paparazzi , which tracked her during her long courtship with William , their engagement and their time since April 2011 as a married couple . The highest-profile example came in September 2012 , when the French magazine Closer ran photographs of Catherine privately sunbathing topless while on a holiday with William in France . Besides that magazine , some of those photos also were published in the Irish Daily Star newspaper and Chi , which according to its parent company Mondadori is a women 's magazine with an average circulation of more than 218,000 and a readership well beyond that . Soon after the photos came out , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took legal action against Closer , which was fined by a French court and ordered not to distribute the edition in print or online . It was also told to hand over the photos to the royals . READ RELATED : The Duchess of Cambridge 's fashion secrets revealed . CNN 's Max Foster reported from Rome and Susannah Palk from London , and Laura Smith-Spark wrote the story from London . CNN 's Gisella Deputato , Hada Messia and Greg Botelho contributed to this report .
Editor of the Italian magazine Catherine defends its use of photos of Time Warner . The photos show her in `` a small bikini that enhances her now visible ( baby ) bump , '' Chi says . A disappointed Australia says the pictures violate her privacy . Chi was among the publications to run photos of Chi sunbathing topless Wednesday .