Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry will be the ones on tour.

But it's going to be Canada's media in the spotlight starting tomorrow night in Vancouver after Charles and his sons arrive for a week's visit to British Columbia.

The message from Buckingham Palace is clear: Be polite and keep your distance - particularly during the private portion of the visit, a March break ski holiday on Whistler Mountain.

When Prince Charles was searching for a winter holiday destination and mentioned Whistler to Hilary and Galen Weston, they supported his idea wholeheartedly.

The Westons - of Holt Renfrew and Loblaws fame - have been family friends of the Windsors for years.

``It came up casually during one of their many discussions,'' Larry Kent said last week from the Ontario head offices of George Weston Ltd.

``The Westons said it would be an excellent venue for the children's winter vacation and offered to do whatever they could to help.''

The Westons don't own a home at Whistler but travel there frequently and stay with friends.

Kent declined to comment on where the Westons, Prince Charles and his two sons William, 15, and Harry, 13, will stay.

A primary reason for choosing Whistler was the prospect of privacy, he said. Prince Charles doesn't want any special treatment and has asked that they be allowed to line up for ski lifts just like anyone else.

``If the holiday is a success, maybe it will become an annual event,'' Kent said.

But paparazzi beware.

The Mounties have their skis waxed and ready.

Photographers and television camera operators who swoosh down hills looking for images other than those offered in pre-arranged media photo-ops may find themselves in the news.

In January, royal bodyguards singled out and named two French photographers and accused them of ruining a royal ski trip in the Swiss Alps.

The two photographers broke an agreement to allow the Prince and his sons to have a vacation free from the intrusive eyes of the press, the bodyguards charged.

Hence, the so-called ``naming and shaming'' exercise. (The two photographers also happened to be associated with photo agencies alleged to have been involved in the Aug. 31 car crash that killed Princess Diana.)

Renée Saint-Arnaud-Watt is the Canadian government's media co-ordinator for the upcoming British Columbia visit - the first foreign trip that is expected to include both young princes in official functions.

``I would hope that the media respect their privacy,'' she said. ``The family is very aware of the public and media interest in their activities, so there will be an opportunity for the media to take some shots.

``Outside of that, they'd like to enjoy their holidays.''

As of mid-week, more than 225 journalists and camera operators from around the world had applied for media accreditation.

Prince Charles and his sons are scheduled to arrive in Vancouver on separate flights tomorrow, as per the royal family's protocol when travelling. From there, it's off to a reception at the Waterfront Centre Hotel, hosted by B.C.'s Lieutenant-Governor Garde Gardom.

On Tuesday, Charles will visit a hospital and groups of students, and attend a function relating to the elimination of racial discrimination at a theatre named after his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

After that, a helicopter tour of marine heritage sites is planned.

Organizers aren't saying which official events will include William and Harry.

The private portion of the visit begins Tuesday night with a helicopter ride to Whistler and what is expected to be four days of skiing.

Security will be low-key in Whistler at the request of the family. The Prince and his sons will be under the watch of an entourage of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and royal security staff.

And the Mounties know how to go down a hill, says Corporal Paul Nadeau, the RCMP media co-ordinator for the visit.

``We've got professional skiers, officers who are police officers by day and ski instructors by night. I mean, it's British Columbia here. It's a major hobby for many of our members to ski.

``All the people who are going up there to ski with them are very advanced skiers, very familiar with the hill also. There's over a hundred permutations of runs up there.

``You've got a dad and two teenagers, and the police are not going to be skiing around in a high-profile way. People are getting images of James Bond movies, and it's not that way at all.''

Nadeau says no Vancouver streets will be closed for the royal motorcade.

Same goes for Whistler, which will be open to the public during the visit. Last week, Whistler saw a daily March break crowd of about 25,000 skiers. About half that number is expected to pack runs at the Rocky Mountain resort this week.

It's been rumoured William and Harry are anxious to take a stab at snowboarding during their Whistler vacation.