The French version of the magazine Closer has published topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge.

The pictures were apparently offered to British papers before being taken up by the French magazine, so why were they turned down?

"I don't think a British newspaper or magazine would dare to publish," said Professor of Journalism at City University Roy Greenslade. "It would be in breach of the editors' code of practice... and you would need to have a public interest reason for overcoming that."

He also thought there would be a bad "reader reaction" if the photographs were published in the UK because the duchess is a popular member of the Royal Family.