French magazine Closer has printed topless photos of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, while she and her husband Prince William were on vacation in France’s Chateau d’Autet in Luberon. The news has rocked not only the British Royal Family, but the British press as well.

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The photos show Kate removing her bikini top as she and her husband sun themselves.

The Telegraph‘s Willard Foxton, referring to the magazine’s staff as “grinning perverts,” shares Closer‘s description of the photos:

“A little more than a year after their marriage, the royal couple was offered a romantic getaway, far from the protocol and etiquette in their very own garden of Eden.Almost alone in the world… because Closer was there! After the Olé Olé holidays of Prince Harry in Las Vegas, discover the very sensual shots of Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William.Discover the incredible pictures of the future Queen of England as you’ve never seen her before… and as you will never see her again!”

“Read it again

in a French accent and see if you can get to the end without feeling your gorge rising,” Foxton adds. “I know I can’t. It’s a revolting description of a couple doing something perfectly normal in a private house.”

The Mirror is essentially live-blogging reaction to the photos, quoting the likes of Bond girl Michelle Yeoh and reporting that Closer magazine is claiming “the swimming pool where Kate was pictured topless is in full view of a public road.”

The Sun, meanwhile, notes that the publications comes at a particularly inopportune time for the royal couple, as the two are currently traveling through Malaysia as part of their ongoing Jubilee Tour. “Malaysia,” the paper points out, “is a largely Muslim country with laws on public decency which makes the timing even more difficult.”

The Daily Mail adds that the couple found out about the photos this morning over breakfast, and are “hurt, shocked, furious and disgusted” over their publication in Closer.

In addition, a British publication of the same name has distanced itself from the French magazine, issuing the following statement:

Closer magazine UK would like to make it clear that the two publications make entirely independent editorial decisions. In this respect the comments made by the Editor of the French edition which have reported in the media today do not reflect the opinions of Closer magazine UK.

The Royal Family — which is

considering legal action over the photos — have released a statement of their own, comparing the incident to those resulting in the death of the late Princess Diana:

Their Royal Highnesses have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner.The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so.Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them.Officials acting on behalf of Their Royal Highnesses are consulting with lawyers to consider what options may be available to The Duke and Duchess.The Duke and Duchess remain focused currently on their Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu on behalf of HM The Queen.

h/t Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Mail

Tags: Kate Middleton, Royal Family, The Daily Mail, The Sun, the telegraph, topless