New parents Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge request privacy from paparazzi

New parents Prince William and Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge have politely asked members of the paparazzi to respect their privacy as they settle into their summer residence with their baby daughter, Princess Charlotte.

The British royals welcomed their second child on Saturday (02May15) and left their London home at Kensington Palace for their Anmer Hall mansion on Queen Elizabeth II's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England on Wednesday (06May15).

The couple will spend the summer at the country retreat with Charlotte and Prince George, who turns two in July (15), and now the pair has taken steps to prevent the leak of unauthorised photos taken by snooping snappers.

A letter sent to members of the press by the royals' communications secretary reads: "Dear Sir/Madam, As you are aware, Anmer Hall is part of the Sandringham Estate, which is a private estate and whilst in residence, members of the Royal Family and their guests have a more than reasonable expectation of privacy.

"There have in the past been a number of intrusions into the privacy of the Royal Family, which in the main have been as a result of professional photographers using long distance lenses, not only to observe the Royal Family, but also to photograph them going about their activities on the Estate. Following warnings given to photographers and the photographic agencies involved, the position has greatly improved.

"However, we would remind you again of the position. The Sandringham Estate trusts that there will not be a need to take any further action other than bringing these points to your attention. With the above matters in mind, we would reiterate the clear request for acts of harassment and breaches of privacy to cease."

Copies of the letter were distributed by local police officers to "individuals found operating on or around the Sandringham Estate", according to a Kensington Palace spokeswoman.

She tells the BBC, "The warm-hearted and understandable interest in the Royal Family and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge needs to be balanced with their right to private family life - this is especially important for a family with very young children."

The Duchess was famously targetted by overzealous paparazzi while on vacation with her husband in France in 2012, when she was photographed sunbathing topless on private property.