Prince Charles' anger towards Princess Diana's 'pathetic' butler revealed in leaked private letter
Prince Charles' anger towards Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler, has been revealed in a private letter up for auction


Prince Charles' anger towards Princess Diana's former butler has been revealed in an unearthed handwritten letter from the Prince, which is to be sold at auction.
- Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married for 15 years from 1981 to 1996.
- During her time as a member of the royal family, Princess Diana had a trusted butler, and it seems Prince Charles was not keen on him.
- In other royal news, the essential kitchen item Meghan Markle cannot travel without is finally on sale.
Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's butler, worked with the Princess at Highgrove House for 10 years from 1987 until her death in 1997. Although he had a long-standing relationship with the Princess of Wales, the butler's relationship with Prince Charles was more frosty and an unearthed letter has revealed that the Prince considered him to be 'pathetic'.
In a letter written in November 2002 to Marjorie Dawson, who was the personal maid and dresser to Princess Alexandra for 36 years, the Prince revealed his true feelings about the butler.
"Bless you for taking the trouble to write as you did in the wake of all the ghastliness that has been going on! I find it utterly incredible, as I have done nothing but show people like Paul Burrell every consideration over the years," said the Prince.
"Unfortunately we are now to be treated as mere pawns in a terrifying and ongoing media circulation war where the actual facts are totally disregarded and vast sums of money are offered as bribes to former and current members of staff to exercise their pathetic jealousies and vendettas in public. One member of staff has been offered a total of £5 million by the newspapers in recent weeks," he concluded.
Queen and Princess Alexandra
In the letter, Prince Charles referred to 'the ghastliness that has been going on.' The Prince was referring to the former butler going on trial for the theft of 310 items belonging to Princess Diana that amounted to a value of £4.5 million.
Since Princess Diana's death, the former butler has appeared on a number of TV shows and even released a memoir in 2003 about his life working with Diana called 'A Royal Duty'. Paul has also continued to comment on matters concerning the royal family. In 2021, Princess Diana's former butler gave a stark warning to Prince Harry after his 'self-destructive' interviews.
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Prince Charles' letter about Paul is estimated to be worth between £1,500 to £2,000 and is on auction at Chiswick Auctions. The item will go on sale on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at 1pm.
Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.
-
I'm thinking of buying a new designer handbag, but this time it's for my dog, let me explain...
With three Mulberry handbags in my collection, I'm tempted to get the latest drop, but this time I'd be sharing it with my pup
-
My family runs a pizza business - these are the 9 ovens actually impressed us
I tested the best pizza ovens for beginners, experts, and home chefs alike. If you want to pitch Gozney, Ooni, and Ninja against each other, look no further.
-
King Charles and Camilla's exhausting trick for beating jet lag on whirlwind overseas visits proves their dedication
King Charles and Queen Camilla paid a short visit to Canada last month
-
Oh Harry, what have you done? Why that BBC interview could've ruined any chance of a reconciliation
In 30 brutal minutes the Duke of Sussex practically ensured that King will never speak to him again.
-
King Charles 'insistent' that Prince William and Kate shouldn't make his 'mistake', leading to 'royal first'
A touching conversation apparently took place between father and son about royal vs family priorities.
-
Princess Anne's unusual nickname for King Charles shows just how 'close' they really are
The Princess Royal has the sweetest nickname for her brother King Charles and has been described by an expert as his 'right-hand woman'
-
King Charles made his feelings clear on one of Kate Middleton's favorite hobbies - and he's not a fan
Kate Middleton's favorite hobby is one her father-in-law isn't a fan of and King Charles took up something else after finding it 'impossible'
-
King Charles hopes Princess Charlotte will do something extremely special when he's 'very old'
Whether or not she becomes a working royal one day, the King has always wished for his granddaughter to have this special role.
-
Queen Camilla sends subtle but sweet message as she and King Charles share 20th wedding anniversary video
The King and Queen have taken us on a trip down memory lane as they marked their milestone anniversary with a special video montage.
-
There's 'only one person' King Charles will 'listen to' when it comes to his health, says royal expert
King Charles is known for his 'workaholic' ways and his commitment to his schedule hasn’t changed since his cancer diagnosis.