Madrid - A Spanish court Thursday rejected a request by Telma Ortiz, sister to Crown Princess Letizia, for a prohibition on the press and television channels from publishing pictures or footage of her, her companion or baby. Maria Lourdes Perez Padilla, judge in the central city of Toledo, said Ortiz' request concerning more than 50 media outlets was "judicially inviable" given that she and her partner participated in public acts, in a reference to royal family events.
The judge made a distinction between anonymous citizens and those with a "public projection" and a known image, such as Ortiz.
Usually, Spanish celebrities have only gone into court over specific reports or photographs, rather than seeking a blanket ban.
Sister to former news anchor Letizia Ortiz, who married Crown Prince Felipe in 2004, 34-year-old Telma Ortiz has felt "harassed" by the gossipy media since she returned from the Philippines, where she worked for an aid organization, to have a baby in Spain four months ago.
Ortiz argued that she is not a public personality and that constant media coverage exposed her and her family to a "real physical danger."
Ortiz would only have accepted pictures of her at royal family gatherings, such as weddings or baptisms.
Lawyers representing the media outlets, however, argued that Ortiz and her companion enjoyed a privileged position which deprived them of the status of ordinary citizens.
Ortiz will have to pay more than 40,000 euros (60,000 dollars) in judicial costs.
Telma is the middle sister of three. The youngest, Erika, died from an overdose of pills in 2007.
