Topless Kate photos: Formal investigation begins A formal investigation is now underway over the publication of topless photos of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. The head of the publisher of France's Closer magazine, Ernesto Mauri, and the photographer who took the photos have both been placed under investigation for breach of privacy. The photos were taken last summer while Kate Middleton was on holiday with husband Prince William in the south of France. The images showed her removing her bikini top while relaxing on a sun lounger. The publisher of the celebrity gossip magazine, the French branch of Italy's Mondadori, told reporters it "was not aware of any new developments in addition to what is already known on this matter." A regional daily newspaper La Provence has also been put under investigation for publishing photos of the two in swimwear on the same trip. Following the incident, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started legal proceedings in France. Shortly after, a French court ordered Closer to hand over the original images and banned them from being republished, calling the photos "particularly intrusive." As the ruling did not cover other countries the pictures were still printed in several other European magazines. No British publications used the photos. Closer argues the photos were taken from a public road and were not offensive. More about: Kate Middleton, Royal families