The royals have gone on the offensive, lodging a criminal complaint against a French gossip magazine.

The mag published photos of Prince William's wife Kate sunbathing topless while holidaying in the south of France.

A court decision is expected later tonight our time, on the couple's request for an injunction banning the republication or resale of the photos.

Meantime, an Italian magazine has shown the blurry pictures of Kate frolicking in bikini bottoms, with a front-page headline: "The queen is nude!"

The editor of an Irish newspaper that also printed the topless photos has been suspended.

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