Paul Burrell, Diana's former Butler

[pinkie40]

I think Paul got addicted to the spotlight. He was used to the glitz and attention he found when around or travelling with the Princess. I don't doubt his devotion, dedication or service....I believe he is besotted with Diana and her memory. He might have understood her and her motives best of all. He is castigated because he probably knows more secrets....

Well done, good and faithful servant.

[sesa]

Originally Posted by pinkie40

Well done, good and faithful servant.

A good and faithful servant would not blab his mouth off to anyone who will listen and tell the "secrets" of his former boss just for a few hundred pounds or so.

A good and faithful servant would remain good and faithful till their death and take the secrets of their former boss to the grave with them.

He was castigated for reasons he himself brought upon himself when he opened his mouth.

[Al_bina]

I am in full agreement with the above opinions on the subject matter. Mr. Burrel would have found another lucrative position in another well-to-do family, if he were discreet. Furthermore, namely this discretion would have replaced any written letters of recommendations from his previous place of employment. Whatever, defamation and social ostracism he has brought upon himself might be viewed as fair. However, it is sad that his actions have had a negative impact on his children and wife.

[pinkie40]

I don't claim to totally understand the full extent of the behind the scenes situation involving the Diana Fund and the trial. Perhaps he was seen by a select few to be attempting to rise above his perceived station as royal butler. What he was doing with all the items, especially the mahogany box, at his home was not really normal behavior, imo.

I do agree some of his attempts to cash in on the his service to the princess with his "talks" and "lectures" have been in very poor taste and much too frequent.

He is rather ubiquitous and seems to have more fun than most family men of his age.

Perhaps Diana relied too heavily upon him..but she had run off the majority of her advisors/staff (esp. Jephson) citing a lack of mistrust and paranoid beliefs. Burrell never seemed to even the remotest to have betrayed her trust during the princess' life....Perhaps his downfall is simply due to his inablity to get along with the Spencers, after Diana's death. He has not been kind at all (in print) about most of them.

Still, he staunchly remains devoted to the memory of Diana...and he did remain loyally by her side during some very tough times...like the night before she was buried.

[Lady Griffin]

Originally Posted by sesa

A good and faithful servant would not blab his mouth off to anyone who will listen and tell the "secrets" of his former boss just for a few hundred pounds or so.

A good and faithful servant would remain good and faithful till their death and take the secrets of their former boss to the grave with them.

He was castigated for reasons he himself brought upon himself when he opened his mouth.

I could not agree more....

[Empress]

Good and faithful servant my purple pattoot

[pinkie40]

He did not abandon Diana in life and was there for her every beck and call. I don't see how Diana would have been able to do several of her humanitarian missions had Paul not been there for her. Let's don't forget it was Paul who prepared the Princess with love and dignity for those who paid their last respects to her.

I don't think he should have been so vocal as he has been but he has never said anything negative about Diana... But he would be very wise keeping quieter.

[sesa]

True, he did not abandon Diana in her time of need, but that is what he was getting paid for. To be there for her at her beck and call, day or night. He was a servant. He was on the payroll. That was his job. Whether she was in a good mood, bad mood, happy or sad, he was there to cater to her needs. And he was paid very well for it.
True, also, he has not said anything negative towards or about the Princess. Actually he has praised her and has said nothing but positive things about her.
what the problem is, is that he has written a book, and pushed that and himself for profit. He has been able to do so by associating himself with the Princess. He is making money off of her name by that association. Just as all the others have made money off of her name.
He has made himself look very cheap and very sleazy for saying and doing the things he has done "in the name of the Princess".
And now he is doing stupid reality shows and selling cheap wine as well as other endeavors, all because of his association with the Princess.
He was paid well while in her service, and he is still being paid well only because of his former employment.
If it was just himself looking to do these things, people would just pass him over as a nobody. He has made a name for himself because he could not keep his mouth closed and associated himself with the Princess.
He would have not done any of these things while the Princess was alive, he should not be doing so now that she is gone.

[hibou]

Originally Posted by pinkie40

He did not abandon Diana in life and was there for her every beck and call. I don't see how Diana would have been able to do several of her humanitarian missions had Paul not been there for her. Let's don't forget it was Paul who prepared the Princess with love and dignity for those who paid their last respects to her.

I don't think he should have been so vocal as he has been but he has never said anything negative about Diana... But he would be very wise keeping quieter.

He may have served her well while she was alive and may never have said a negative thing but he has made a lot of money off her too. Someone I knew who had the same butler for many years, died not long ago and when he died, people began to ask the butler personal questions. I was standing there when one of these instances occurred and the butler was brilliant. His response: Madame I hardly think that is an appropriate question to ask me. He then asked her if she would care for another cup of tea, and to me that is exactly what Mr. Burrell should have done. JMO

[Zonk]

I must say I too am disappointed in Paul Burrell. It would have been nice if he could have just faded into the woodwork...but honestly, he was put out to dry by the Royal Family during the trial. He had to get an attorney to defend himself. That ain't cheap.

Although I will admit that some of his statements about keeping Diana's things safe for Wills and Harry are a little shaky. Everythign else aside, it would have been nice if he could have taken a low key role in regards to this memorial. It just makes him look nervy and arrogant IMO.

[pinkie40]

What irks me about Paul is that he has said very unkind things about Earl Spencer (let's don't forget "Champagne Charlie" makes a tidy profit off all the trinkets and the admission fee from "Diana's Dresses Roadshow"..not to mention the admission fee to lay a posy by the fake lake where Di rests...) and the rest of the Spencers ......and he has accused Prince Charles of dastardly things (HUGE MISTAKE), namely murder, and dangles a tape (part of the contents of that supposed mysterious mahogany box) over the head of the Windsors...

I don't like that at all.

He has also made a splendid fool of himself in those marginally scripted "reality" shows and charges a huge fee (plus things like first class travel and hotels..) for regurgitating the same drivel we all know backwards and forwards in our sleep...

I wonder if some of the criticism comes from the fact he was a butler in previous employment and rose to be employed by the Diana Fund...A lot of the British upper class find it annoying when people like Burrell achieve higher stations in life.

But still I give him great credit for not jumping the ship when working for Diana must have been not the easiest job (he did a lot more than pour tea into dainty cups and open doors) and Her Majesty DID award him a medal for his service.

He has never ever spoken ill of Her Majesty nor Diana.

[chrissy57]

However a 'faithful' servant NEVER EVER speaks about their employees, whether for good or bad. That is what makes him a disgrace IMHO - the fact that he said anything at all about what should have been confidential information.

[pinkie40]

He must of felt hugely betrayed by the trial and by being sacked from running the Diana Fund after he raised (he claims) a huge sum. Still, to accuse Prince Charles, in the press and for attention, of such an accusation was not gentlemanly or fair.

I still think somewhere in his psyche he felt himself worthy of adultation and attention and missed it when Diana was gone. He doesn't seem by nature to be a quiet mouse of a guy content to hang out in his flower shop for long.

[HRH Kimetha]

Originally Posted by sesa

True, he did not abandon Diana in her time of need, but that is what he was getting paid for. To be there for her at her beck and call, day or night. He was a servant. He was on the payroll. That was his job.

Hear!!! Hear!!! You're jolly right about that!!! Keep the fantasy man away from the commemoration I say!!

[branchg]

There's little doubt he was a very faithful servant and extremely devoted to The Princess. And there is no question the Spencers went on a witch hunt after her death to recover possessions that Diana undoubtedly had given him and his family.

But the fact remains he betrayed her and the monarchy by writing a book and raking it in as a celebrity off her memory. That's hardly the behavior to be expected from a loyal retainer.

[Duchess]

i think it's incredibly arrogant to assume that he should have been invited in the first place. this is a private service and the people are there at the invitation/discretion of the organizers. he can't honestly believe that after all he's done and said that they'd want him there?

[pinkie40]

Paul obviously didn't get the clue when he was banned from the Diana Fountain dedication. He raised a stink then too for not being invited.

He'll raise another stink when the next royal event takes place, too....(He doesn't have anything nice to say about them, but wants to be among them???)

If he is as clever as he claims to be in those "entertaining" books he has written, then I would have expected to have had his own memorial service. And charged a tabloid to cover it....

He should have called up Mara Berni at San Lorenzo and booked the back room for a sing-song and round of drinks of those banished from the royal memorial... After all, the memorial is set for lunch time in London.

[gfg02]

Burrell's 'loaded gun' for Royals

Burrell's 'loaded gun' for Royals | the Daily Mail

[Lighthouse]

Paul hosted a dreadful series called Australian Princess. It had the worst contestants - butch accents, no style, vulgar etc