The Queen has commissioned pollsters Mori to interview 'focus groups' about how the Royal Family is perceived by the public.

Focus groups have already been asked for their opinion about the Royal Family and Mori is now preparing a report that will be seen by the Queen and other members of the family.

The decision to appoint Mori was "entirely the initiative of Buckingham Palace", said a spokeswoman.

She said: "The Palace has commissioned Mori to undertake some opinion research on its behalf so it can find out how it is perceived by the public and how it can ensure the Royal Family's work is suited to the interests and concerns of the people."

The spokeswoman said that the palace had undertaken similar research over a number of years and that this was not in direct relation to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

She said: "This commission is being undertaken on behalf of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, and obviously they will be shown the findings.

"The field research with the focus groups has already been completed and those findings are now being analysed."

The commission has a "finite" lifetime and the focus groups will not be continuous sounding boards on Royal events.

Since the death of the princess, the Royal Family have been perceived to be making more of an effort to become closer to their subjects.

In the days after the princess died, the Queen in particular came under fire for her apparently cold and remote attitude to a grieving nation.

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