Kate Middleton topless photos lead to resignation of Irish Daily Star editor

One of the tabloid editors who brought you Kate Middleton topless has been forced to quit his job. Michael O'Kane, the editor of the Irish Daily Star, has resigned over his decision to publish topless photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge. He had been suspended from his job since September after he had published the pictures, which were taken without Middleton's knowledge while she was on vacation, the Guardian reported.

O'Kane wasn't the first editor to publish the photos. The pictures originally appeared in the French celebrity magazine Closer, and were also republished in Italy, Sweden and Denmark.

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But no British paper has dared to reprint them, BBC News reported.

O'Kane's decision to republish the photographs in the Irish Daily Star angered the paper's co-owners. He was suspended while an internal investigation was carried out. "As a result of the publication on 15 September 2012, issues arose with the shareholders of Independent Star Limited," the paper said in a statement to the BBC. "Having considered those issues in tandem with Mr O'Kane, it is Mr O'Kane's decision to resign as editor of the Irish Daily Star, effective immediately."