Carla Bruni Sarkozy's Naked Photo to be Auctioned at Christie's

Carla Bruni Sarkozy, the French First Lady of less than 2 months, has once posed nude for photographer Michel Comte during her modelling days in 1993. Now one of those photos has been put up for auction at Christie's New York and is expected to fetch around US$4000 in April.

A nude photo of the French First Lady Carla Bruni has been put up for auction at Christie's New York, just hours ahead of her and her husband President Nicolas Sarkozy's state visit to Britain.

The image, by photographer Michel Comte, shows a younger Miss Bruni facing the camera wearing no more than a thoughtful expression, her hands crossed at waist height to cover her modesty.

It is expected to fetch around £2,000 when it goes under the hammer on April 10.