Harry Potter actress to feature in Playboy as magazine brings back nudity

Harry Potter actress Scarlett Byrne has said she is "proud" to be featured in an upcoming edition of Playboy magazine.

Byrne, known for playing Slytherin student Pansy Parkinson in the series' sixth instalment, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, shared a revealing image of herself in black and white on Instagram.

Her pictures will feature next month alongside an article she wrote herself as part of the magazine's Naked Is Normal social media campaign.

It comes as the magazine marks the end of a year-long ban on using photographs of nude models.

The London-born star, 26, posted the image of herself draped loosely in a white shirt with the caption: "I'm very proud to be a part of the March/April issue of Playboy.

"I penned a short essay along with my pictorial titled, "The Feminist Mystique."

"A big thank you to @Playboy, the creative team, and @cooperbhefner for such a unique opportunity. #NakedIsNormal"

Byrne is reportedly engaged to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's son, Cooper.

In a statement, shared on the magazine's Instagram account on Tuesday, the 25-year-old said: "I'll be the first to admit that the way in which the magazine portrayed nudity was dated, but removing it entirely was a mistake.

"Nudity was never the problem because nudity isn't a problem.

"Today we're taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are."