Mrs Bettencourt, who is at the centre of a corruption investigation that has involving Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, sold the islands to a Seychelles-registered conservation business linked to the Swiss Save our Seas foundation, which intends to turn it into a nature reserve, for £60 million – a profit of £42 million from when she first bought it.

Mrs Bettencourt is said to have handed over envelopes stuffed with cash to the former President of France.

In turn, the 89-year-old is said to have received massive tax breaks when Mr Sarkozy came to power in 2007. Mrs Bettencourt has some £80 million worth of money in 12 bank accounts in Switzerland and Singapore.

D’Arros Island, together with a number of neighbouring private islets, was also in her portfolio, with Mrs Bettencourt admitting that no tax had been paid on their £18 million purchase price.(TelegraphUk)(KH/SI)