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Paul Burrell
Paul Burrell RVM (born 6 June 1958) is a former servant of the British Royal Household and latterly butler to Diana, Princess of Wales.
Burrell was born and raised in Grassmoor, Derbyshire, a coal-mining village. His parents were Graham Burrell and Beryl Burrell, née Kirk. His father was a lorry driver and it was initially assumed he would go to work in the local colliery, but he had decided at the age of eight that he wanted to work at Buckingham Palace. This was after a trip to London, in which he witnessed the Changing of the Guard. He attended William Rhodes Secondary School in Chesterfield before entering High Peak College in Buxton, where he studied hotel management.
Burrell entered Royal Service at age 18 as a Buckingham Palace footman, becoming Elizabeth II's personal footman a year later. He was nicknamed "Small Paul", to distinguish him from a taller footman, Paul Whybrew, who was known as "Tall Paul".
In 1987, Burrell joined the household of Charles and Diana at Highgrove House, Gloucestershire, acting as butler to the princess until her death in August 1997. Burrell said that Diana, Princess of Wales, had described him as "the only man she ever trusted". Books produced by Burrell state that Diana was very fond of him, and that she would describe him as her "rock" for his support during trying times, but Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, detested him and believed that he was "just another hanger-on grasping at Diana's celebrity".
In 2001, Burrell opened a florist's in Farndon, Cheshire.
Burrell has been routinely mentioned in relation to Diana. At times the coverage has been adverse; for example, in a 2002 case where he was charged with theft related to Diana's possessions. The trial collapsed after evidence was given that the Queen had spoken with him regarding disputed events and a public-interest immunity (PII) certificate was presented by the Crown Prosecution Service.
In January 2008, Burrell appeared as a witness at the inquest into the death of Diana. Burrell said he had approached a Catholic priest about a private marriage between Diana and the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, and denied rumours that Diana was about to announce her engagement to Dodi Fayed. He was also questioned on a letter to him from Diana in October 1996, in which she said her husband was planning to have her killed to make the path clear for him to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. The coroner dismissed notions of a "secret" that Burrell knew about Diana that he swore he "would never reveal," as detailed at the end of his book, A Royal Duty.
Other matters were discussed in relation to the case, many alleged and not proven, including allegations of perjury at the coroner's court, and allegations about his personal life.
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Paul Burrell
Paul Burrell RVM (born 6 June 1958) is a former servant of the British Royal Household and latterly butler to Diana, Princess of Wales.
Burrell was born and raised in Grassmoor, Derbyshire, a coal-mining village. His parents were Graham Burrell and Beryl Burrell, née Kirk. His father was a lorry driver and it was initially assumed he would go to work in the local colliery, but he had decided at the age of eight that he wanted to work at Buckingham Palace. This was after a trip to London, in which he witnessed the Changing of the Guard. He attended William Rhodes Secondary School in Chesterfield before entering High Peak College in Buxton, where he studied hotel management.
Burrell entered Royal Service at age 18 as a Buckingham Palace footman, becoming Elizabeth II's personal footman a year later. He was nicknamed "Small Paul", to distinguish him from a taller footman, Paul Whybrew, who was known as "Tall Paul".
In 1987, Burrell joined the household of Charles and Diana at Highgrove House, Gloucestershire, acting as butler to the princess until her death in August 1997. Burrell said that Diana, Princess of Wales, had described him as "the only man she ever trusted". Books produced by Burrell state that Diana was very fond of him, and that she would describe him as her "rock" for his support during trying times, but Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, detested him and believed that he was "just another hanger-on grasping at Diana's celebrity".
In 2001, Burrell opened a florist's in Farndon, Cheshire.
Burrell has been routinely mentioned in relation to Diana. At times the coverage has been adverse; for example, in a 2002 case where he was charged with theft related to Diana's possessions. The trial collapsed after evidence was given that the Queen had spoken with him regarding disputed events and a public-interest immunity (PII) certificate was presented by the Crown Prosecution Service.
In January 2008, Burrell appeared as a witness at the inquest into the death of Diana. Burrell said he had approached a Catholic priest about a private marriage between Diana and the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, and denied rumours that Diana was about to announce her engagement to Dodi Fayed. He was also questioned on a letter to him from Diana in October 1996, in which she said her husband was planning to have her killed to make the path clear for him to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. The coroner dismissed notions of a "secret" that Burrell knew about Diana that he swore he "would never reveal," as detailed at the end of his book, A Royal Duty.
Other matters were discussed in relation to the case, many alleged and not proven, including allegations of perjury at the coroner's court, and allegations about his personal life.