The British Ministry of Defence was yesterday forced to reset the user names and computer passwords of dozens of RAF staff following the embarrassing security blunder over pictures of Prince William.
Ten photographs of the future king in his role as a search and rescue helicopter pilot were published by St James's Palace yesterday on the Duke's website before being cleared by the MoD, the Daily Mail reported.
The pictures, taken by an RAF photographer, had been intended to show off a "day in the life" of the 30-year-old Prince on base as Flight Lieutenant Wales at RAF Valley on Anglesey, north Wales.
They were considered something of a coup for his new website.
But the publicity exercise back-fired within hours as it emerged that sensitive information was visible in four of the shots.
In one, William is in a briefing room in front of a computer with a password prompt screen open.
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Another shows a document on the desk and an email open on a computer. Other photographs show details of passwords and user names pinned up on a wall.
By the time horrified defence officials spotted the mistake, some four hours after publication online, the shots had appeared on websites around the world, on TV and in newspapers including the Evening Standard in London.
They were 're-released' with the details pixellated, but the MoD had no choice but to reset passwords of some personnel "as a precaution".
"Due to an administrative oversight, these photographs were not properly cleared at RAF Valley. They have now been amended," the MoD said.
"The pictures were taken by an RAF photographer and any security issues are a matter for the MoD," the St James's Palace said.
The amended photos, which capture the prince's normal working day, show that while the Duke of Cambridge may be second in line to the throne, as a working member of the RAF Prince William clearly doesn't stand on ceremony.
In the photographs William can also be seen using the base's tiny kitchen to make a cup of tea as he and his colleagues make up their flight plans and wait for their next 'shout'.
William has been based at RAF Valley since 2010.