Paul Burrell, the former royal butler to Princess Diana, has returned to the spotlight with a new memoir and an intensive media schedule, saying an insult from Prince Harry prompted him to disclose fresh details about the late queen, the princess and a previously unreported meeting with the princes.
Burrell’s book, The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana, is being serialised in parts and will be discussed at a two-hour live event hosted by television presenter Lorraine Kelly at Cadogan Hall in London. In interviews this week, Burrell said he had been driven to publish by anger after reading what he called “flippant and damning allegations” in a statement from Harry that repeated suggestions Burrell had sold items belonging to Diana — claims he says are false and defamatory.
Burrell, who has not worn royal household livery for 28 years, framed the new memoir as both personal recollection and a corrective to public accounts of royal life. He describes years at the centre of the Royal Family and writes about unexpected moments of intimacy with Queen Elizabeth II, Diana and the then-Prince Charles. He also recounts what he says was the queen’s cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2021 and the medical measures, including blood transfusions and a change in diet, that he claims allowed her to live to see the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. Quoting what he said the queen told doctors, Burrell writes she asked, “Can you keep me alive for that?”
Much of Burrell’s public profile has been shaped by controversy. He was arrested and charged in connection with an inquiry that included allegations some of Diana’s possessions had been sold; charges did not result in convictions, and Burrell said police withdrew claims under cross-examination at his trial. His first book, published in 2003 after an emphatic legal episode that included his acquittal at the Old Bailey, prompted a furious reaction from Princes William and Harry, who accused him of betrayal. In a statement at the time, the brothers said the book was “cold and overt” betrayal and added that it would have mortified their mother.
Burrell’s new volume is his third memoir. He told interviewers he hoped to set the record straight about Queen Elizabeth II and to respond to what he called an affront to his character after Harry’s statement resurfaced allegations that had previously been investigated by Scotland Yard. Burrell said he challenged Harry through solicitors and received only a pro-forma acknowledgement that no instructions had been given to respond.
A central narrative in the memoir is Burrell’s account of a private meeting with William and Harry at Kensington Palace in late 2017. Burrell says the brothers invited him as they worked on television projects about their mother and were seeking memories and photographs to fill what they described as “blanks” in their recollection. According to Burrell, the meeting did not dwell on past disputes, but it did include a candid exchange in which William told him, “Mummy drew you too close to her, Paul... We won’t do that with our household.” Burrell also quotes William as saying: “You can let go now, Harry and I can take over.”
Burrell recounts telling the brothers a version of a celebrated story about an interaction between Prince Charles and Princess Diana shortly after Harry’s birth in 1984 — an anecdote that has been reported in earlier royal biographies. In Burrell’s telling, Charles remarked, “Oh, red hair,” and Diana reminded him that reddish colouring was a Spencer family trait. Burrell writes that Charles then said: “Well at least I have got my heir and spare now and I can return to Camilla.” He says Harry listened in silence and that the moment suggested to him when the fissures in the marriage began. The meeting, which Burrell says was meant to remain private, is presented in the book as part of his effort to fill gaps in the princes’ memory of their mother.
Critics have long accused Burrell of capitalising on his association with Diana. He acknowledged this week that he is a “Marmite” figure and that some will view his memoir as a commercial endeavour or another instance of betrayal. Former aides and royal commentators have repeatedly described him as divisive; his previous books drew accusations that he had revealed too much about private family matters.
Supporters and readers have pointed to passages that Burrell says are affectionate portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II and of the closeness he shared with Diana. He argues that he has maintained ties to the world of the palace despite leaving the household decades ago and that his memoir contains new information about the inner circle that managed the queen’s illness.
Burrell’s re-emergence comes as Prince Harry has been in Britain seeking to repair ties with the royal household. Allies of the family said this week the timing of the memoir’s release and Burrell’s media appearances add a layer of tension to ongoing efforts at reconciliation. Representatives for Prince Harry did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Burrell’s latest book or the allegations Burrell said prompted him to write.
The memoir’s publication will likely revive old disputes over privacy, disclosure and who may speak for the late princess. Burrell said he had no choice but to disclose details of the Kensington meeting after he felt his character had been publicly questioned. As he prepares to appear at Cadogan Hall, the debate over what former insiders may reveal about the Royal Family appears set to continue.
The Royal Insider will be discussed at a public event in London tomorrow, and Burrell’s media appearances are scheduled to continue as coverage of the book unfolds.