Château d'Autet

Château d'Autet is a château located in the Luberon hills of the commune of Viens in the Vaucluse department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. The château lies approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the northeast of the village of Gignac, and roughly 85 kilometres (53 mi) north of Marseille. Built in the 19th century as a hunting lodge, the dilapidated house and surrounding neglected estate was bought in 1998 by David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, who is reported to have paid £500,000.[1] In addition to repairing the house, Linley planted fields of lavender on the estate nearby.

In early September 2012, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge stayed at the château. Long lens photographers took topless photos of the Duchess from the D33 public road a kilometre away.[2] The photos were controversially published in the French version of Closer magazine the following week.[3]