Prince Harry’s nude Vegas romp: Censure in U.K., boredom in Vegas

The fallout from the Prince Harry Vegas romp continued Thursday with reports that the royal family was trying to stymie further publication of the nude photos taken of the prince.

Meanwhile, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte said he was glad he wasn’t invited to play strip billiards in the prince’s Vegas hotel suite.

“He’s a really nice guy,” Lochte told “Today’s” Matt Lauer of Prince Harry. Lochte had frequented the same pool party in Las Vegas as the prince, who asked to meet him.

PHOTOS: Embarrassed in Las Vegas

Lochte was happy to oblige and was charmed with the prince, who challenged him to a race. They were both fully clothed at the time, Lochte noted. Lochte pulled off his shirt and leaped in the water to race the prince.

After that they went their separate ways, Lochte said on “Today.”

Buckingham Palace wasn’t nearly as serene as Lochte in the aftermath of the scandal. According to the Telegraph, a palace spokesman had confirmed that the Press Complaints Commission had been contacted regarding circulation of the photos.

The palace said publication of the images “would be a breach of the prince’s privacy.”

What was the reaction in Vegas to this latest Sin City scandal? It was met with the equivalent of a yawn, as the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday morning.

Vegas locals have seen so many embarrassed celebrities that they’ve become inured to the shock, said Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada.

Things have certainly changed in Vegas since the old days, he said.

“Sex hasn’t changed but Vegas used to be a place where a celebrity could go and misbehave on the QT,” he said. “The place was run by people who cherished privacy themselves, so they understood the celebrity’s desire to do that.”

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