An editor of Chi magazine on Wednesday defended the decision to publish photos of a pregnant Kate Middleton in the Caribbean wearing a bikini beside her husband Prince William, saying the images are not a breach of the couple's privacy.

The pictures of Middleton, 31, pregnant in a bikini were taken on the Caribbean island of Mustique, where she and Prince William were on vacation. The images, according to Us Weekly, are said to show Middleton in a blue bikini walking on the beach alongside her husband. The royal family is reportedly very upset that the private photos were taken, and a royal spokesperson said there photos were "a clear breach of the couple's right to privacy."

"We are disappointed that photographs of the duke and duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas. This is a clear breach of the couple's right to privacy," a spokesperson for St James's Palace added.

View the photo of Middleton's growing baby bump on the cover of Chi here

In an interview with BBC posted on Wednesday, Chi editor Alfonso Signorini responded to the criticism the Italian publication received for printing the photos, noting the nature of the images since they were taken in a public space.

"They are images of such unexceptional normality that there is only limited mention of them on the cover of the magazine," Signorini said. "Moreover, the photographs can hardly be considered an invasion of privacy when the subjects are public figures in a public place, in the open air; specifically on a beach surrounded by other bathers."

The Chi issue with the pictures of Middleton flaunting her baby bump in a bikini went on newsstands Wednesday. Chi is the same magazine to publish a 26-page photo spread of Middleton topless while vacationing in France back in September of 2012.

The royal couple's first child is due in July.