The Sun printed Prince Harry naked Vegas pictures 'because Rupert Murdoch wanted to fire warning shot at Leveson over Press freedom'

• Rupert Murdoch: 'We printed Prince Harry naked Vegas pictures to demonstrate there's no such thing as a free press in UK'
• Denied taking the decision to print the photos in The Sun but said he supported it
• More than 850 complaints have been made to press watchdog the PCC about the publication of photos in the tabloid newspaper
• Claimed we should 'give Harry a break'  and that 'the public loves him'
  

By Emma Reynolds

Published: 09:52 EST, 27 August 2012 | Updated: 15:15 EST, 27 August 2012

The Sun newspaper printed the controversial naked pictures of Prince Harry because Rupert Murdoch wanted to fire a warning shot at Lord Justice Leveson, it has been claimed.

News International has refused to comment on the speculation, but Mr Murdoch took to Twitter to say the decision to publish them was taken to show that there is no such thing as a free press in the UK.

He took to social media to explain why the tabloid newspaper became the first British publication to print the images of the prince partying in Las Vegas, before going on to claim he supported the humiliated royal.

Mr Murdoch, 81, denied taking the decision to print the photos but said he agreed with the move.

Political argument: Rupert Murdoch claimed the naked pictures of Harry in Vegas were printed in The Sun to demonstrate that there was no such thing as a free press in Britain

Controversy: Mr Murdoch, CEO of News International, claims the decision to publish the photos was not his but that he supports it

'We needed to demonstrate no such thing as a free press in UK,' he tweeted. 'Internet makes a mockery of these issues. 1st amendment please.'

But according to a source reported in the Independent, Mr Murdoch told News International chief executive Tom Mockridge: 'There is a principle here. I know this is about Leveson but this is humiliating.

'We can't carry on like this. We should run them, do it and say to Leveson, we are doing it for press freedom.'

Later, however, Mr Murdoch echoed the view of a large proportion of the public by insisting he sympathised with Harry.

He tweeted: 'Prince Harry. Give him a break. He may be on the public payroll one way or another, but the public loves him, even to enjoy Las Vegas.'

More than 850 complaints have been made to press watchdog the PCC about the publication of photographs of the prince frolicking naked with a young woman in Friday’s edition of The Sun.

Nearly all are about invasion of privacy and are to be investigated in due course.

In a Twitter exchange with former deputy prime minister John Prescott, Mr Murdoch denied the claims, writing: 'Decision was rightly that of the editor, and I support. I was in Silicon Valley far removed.'

The Sun argued that printing the images was in the public interest and a 'crucial' test of the country’s free press.

'First amendment': Mr Murdoch tweets his explanation for why The Sun needed to print the naked photos of the 27-year-old Prince

Finger on the pulse: Mr Murdoch, 81, followed up by echoing the thoughts of much of the public by expressing support for the wayward Prince

Mr Murdoch later added on Twitter: 'Simple equation: free, open uncontrollable Internet versus shackled newspapers equals no newspapers. Let's get real.'

He concluded the discussion with the advice: 'Only lesson for Prince Harry: avoid playmates with cameras!'

TMZ, the celebrity gossip website that first published the pictures, said they were taken last Friday after Harry and his entourage met a group of young women in a hotel bar and invited them up to the royal’s suite.

The group played strip billiards and someone in the party is thought to have captured the images of the naked prince on a camera phone.