Kate's topless snaps won't tarnish royal brand: Experts

LONDON (AFP) - Topless photos of Prince William's wife Catherine and nude ones of Prince Harry have reddened cheeks at the palace - but experts say they won't do lasting damage to the British royals' reputation.

The former Kate Middleton and her husband are struggling to keep a lid on the paparazzi shots of her sunbathing in her bikini briefs, despite launching legal action on Friday against the French magazine that first published them.

The Irish Daily Star tabloid re-printed them on Saturday, while Italian gossip magazine Chi says it is planning to devote 26 pages to the grainy snaps in a special edition on Monday.

The intimate shots - taken while the couple were on holiday in the south of France this month - come hot on the heels of images of a naked Harry, frolicking in a Las Vegas hotel suite with a mystery woman, that went viral on the Internet last month.