A Very Public Servant (Pt. 1): Meet Diana’s Butler Paul

Windsors & Losers

Princess Diana’s longtime butler Paul Burrell was there for the big royal moments of the ‘80s and ‘90s, from Diana and Charles’s wedding to the births of William and Harry, the breakdown of the Wales marriage, and Diana’s transformation into a global celebrity. He became known as “Diana's rock" (a moniker he may, actually, have given himself) and claimed to know many of her darkest secrets. He was also, tragically, the man who selected her outfit and accompanied her back from Paris on her final journey home. But the story of Paul Burrell took on a life of its own after his boss’s death. He was arrested for stealing hundreds of Diana's private belongings. And although he was later exonerated by Queen Elizabeth II herself, his legacy is far from the platonic ideal of a butler who sees all — and never tells. In episode one of our series on Paul Burrell, we explore his rags-to-riches tale, starting with his early years as servant-in-training and time as QEII’s personal butler.