French court orders magazine to hand over topless Kate snaps

Nanterre: A French court has ordered the publisher of a gossip magazine to hand over all digital copies of topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge and blocked the further publication of the images.

Under the ruling, the magazine Closer cannot publish the images of an intimate moment in the south of France any further, including on its website and tablet application.

The magazine published 14 photos of a partially clad Kate in its pages on Friday.

If the royal family had hoped to block international publication, it was too late. Publications in Ireland and Italy already went ahead with them.

Tuesday's ruling only affects the French publisher.