The pictures showed the Prince of Wales and his lover outside a secluded house deep in the Welsh countryside.
The newspaper which published them said it was tipped off that there would be no problem using them, that they would be seen as a way of familiarising the public with the lover, Camilla Parker Bowles, in company with Prince Charles now his divorce to the Princess of Wales has gone through. He also has made it clear that there is no immediate prospect of him marrying the woman.
Nonetheless it is clear that he wants to secure public acceptance for his liaison with her - most likely with the long-term aim of making her his Queen.
How do we know this? Well the prince has been inviting selected senior journalists and media folk to his country house in Gloucestershire to partake of a spot of lunch this summer making it clear in the process that he would like Britain's hostile press to start supporting the monarchy again and his view of the way forward - a way forward that includes the presence of divorcee Mrs Parker Bowles.
The trouble is that public opinion polls among the public and the clergy have made two things very clear.
First they do not want to see him marry Mrs Parker Bowles.