The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reported to be furious after a French magazine published topless photos of the duchess in a French magazine. The publication Closer printed the pictures, taken during the couple's holiday at the French chateau of the Queen's nephew, Lord Linley.

The photos are blurry and taken with a long lens but are clearly of the royal couple, the BBC's Paris bureau says. There are four pages of photos of the couple with Kate topless in several. They were told about the magazine's plan to publish the photos during breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on their Asian tour.

It has emerged that British newspapers were offered photographs last week but turned them down. BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt says: "Royal officials say they accept the photos are genuine and the couple are furious.

"They believe a "red line" has been crossed. The couple cannot believe someone would take such photos and publish them.

"The officials stress the couple couldn't have gone to a more secluded location in France. They were a "young couple enjoying a holiday". "There has been a significant hardening of William and Kate's response to the publication of the topless photos."

The royal couple continued with their nine-day tour, which is part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, on Friday by visiting a mosque in Kuala Lumpur. On Thursday, the duchess gave her first official speech abroad while visiting a hospice in the capital.

"Providing children and their families with a place of support, care and enhancement at a time of great need is simply life changing," she said. She said the couple were "hugely excited" to be in Malaysia, after they had started their tour in Singapore.

The emergence of the magazine photos follows the controversy over the publication of pictures of a naked Prince Harry, Kate's brother-in-law, which were taken in a Las Vegas hotel room last month.

>>>>>>>The future of the magazine...

... screwed!!