<div><p>Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has warned newspapers not to publish paparazzi pictures of the royal family, Buckingham Palace said Sunday, as the royals prepare for their Christmas break.</p><p>The sovereign's lawyers have contacted newspapers reminding them of privacy obligations under their own code of practice.</p><p>The royals traditionally spend their winter break at Queen Elizabeth's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England.</p><p>"There was a letter sent to all the editors, it was private and not for publication," a spokeswoman for the monarch's Buckingham Palace official residence told AFP.</p><p>"It was in response to many years of the royal family being hounded by photographers on the queen's private property."</p><p>The letter was sent through lawyers six to eight weeks ago and covered all members of the royal family, the spokeswoman said.</p><p>She declined to comment on whether legal action had been threatened.</p><p>Freelance photographers normally spend hours monitoring the area to get pictures of the family on the estate. However, this year photographers will be monitored on public roads around the estate.</p><p>Last Christmas at Sandringham, the queen's youngest son Prince Edward was accused of beating a dog after he was pictured waving a stick at two quarrelling gundogs.</p><p>Prince William, second in line to the throne, and his girlfriend Kate Middleton were pictured during a hunt.</p><p>Paddy Harveson, spokesman for William's father Prince Charles, said: "Members of the royal family feel they have a right to privacy when they are going about everyday, private activities.</p><p>"They recognise there is a public interest in them and what they do, but they do not think this extends to photographing the private activities of them and their friends."</p><p>William voiced concern in 2007 after Middleton was hounded by the paparazzi outside her London home.</p><p>And the role of the paparazzi in the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in a 1997 Paris car crash has also been widely scrutinised.</p><p>The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt said legal action seemed far off, though might be taken if the monarch's appeal was ignored.</p><p>"This is very much a warning shot across the bows," he said.</p><p>"After years of turning a blind eye, senior royals have decided to take a more robust approach to what they see as unjustified intrusion."</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=64880567&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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