A French magazine claims to have obtained topless photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge and says it will publish them tomorrow. St James's Palace was bracing itself after the magazine trailed its 'exclusive' on its website with the words: 'World Exclusive; Kate and William in Provence: Oh My God!' The website also showed an image of the front cover which pictured the Duchess in a bikini apparently about to remove her top. Publication of the pictures is bound to reignite the row about privacy even though ironically they were taken in France - which has some of the strictest privacy laws in the world.

The pictures were allegedly taken while Kate was on holiday with her husband, Prince William, in France last week. The couple were staying in Provence at a chateau owned by Lord Linley, the Queen's nephew, ahead of their current Diamond Jubilee tour of south east Asia and the South Pacific on behalf of the Queen. Pictures have already surfaced on the continent of the couple sunbathing, where the Duchess was wearing a skimpy bikini.

Now France's Closer magazine, one of the biggest celebrity glossy magazines in the country, says it has obtained pictures of the royal couple by the swimming pool, including ones of Kate topless. A blurb accompanying the racy picture spread meanwhile refers to the Luberon area of Provence with the words: 'The Duchess of Cambridge topless on the terrace of a guest house in the Luberon!' adding 'OMG!' for 'Oh My God!' The full text reads: 'A little more than a year after their marriage, the royal couple was offered a romantic getaway, far from the protocol and etiquette in their very own garden of Eden.

'Almost alone in the world ... because Closer was there! After the Olé Olé holidays of Prince Harry in Las Vegas, discover the very sensual shots of Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William . 'Discover the incredible pictures of the future Queen of England as you've never seen her before... and as you will never see her again!' The pictures are said to show the couple smearing sun cream over their bodies in between taking a dip in plus 30 degree temperatures, the magazine explains.

A spokesman for the Duchess declined to comment last night in advance of publication. A source told the Mail: 'It is impossible to tell at this stage whether the photographs are genuine or indeed purport to show what the magazine claims, so we are having to wait and see what transpires.' But there can be little doubt of the magnitude of their anger and disgust if the publication does indeed publish such intimate pictures.