Kate holiday photos: Two people investigated

The head of the publisher of France's Closer magazine and a photographer are under formal investigation in France over the publication of pictures of a sunbathing Duchess of Cambridge, BBC reported.

Topless pictures of the duchess, taken during a private holiday in France, were published by Closer in September.

Local newspaper La Provence used pictures of her in her swimwear.

Mondadori boss Ernesto Mauri and La Provence's Valerie Suau are under investigation for invasion of privacy.

Ms Suau has admitted capturing images of the duchess in her swimwear but denies having taken the topless photos.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launched legal proceedings in France following the publication of the pictures last autumn.

Shortly afterwards, a Paris court banned Closer from re-publishing the images and ordered the gossip magazine to hand over the originals within 24 hours, or face a daily fine of 10,000 euros (£8,000).

In their ruling, magistrates described the pictures as "particularly intrusive".

The images were published in other European magazines as the ruling did not cover publications outside France, but no British newspapers printed them.