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(#1) He Says He Directly Enabled Her Eating Disorder
Princess Diana was open about her struggle with bulimia, which started during a rough patch in her marriage. Burrell has since claimed he enabled her disorder, stating: “I had stocks of all the supplies which she might need, and I sort of aided and abetted, I suppose, in lots of ways."
In the documentary, In Therapy: Paul Burrell, he alleged, "And I'd help her with that. I'd get the chef to prepare a gallon of custard, and I'd buy [yogurts] and lots of bananas. And I'd prepare the room for her to make sure she was comfortable. Make sure there was a pile of towels... I was doing my duty. I would have done anything for Diana."
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(#2) Diana Was Reportedly Afraid Prince Charles Would Harm Her
Burrell produced a handwritten letter Diana allegedly wrote to him in October 1993 in which the late royal claimed her husband was planning to harm her in a car accident. Why? Apparently to marry her sons' nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, with whom he was rumored to be romantically entangled.
In the letter, which Burrell presented at the inquest into her passing, Diana supposedly wrote, all the way back in 1993:
This particular phase in my life is the most dangerous - my husband is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry Tiggy. Camilla is nothing but a decoy, so we are all being used by the man in every sense of the word.
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(#3) Diana And Burrell Evidently Helped A Friend Perform A Secret Service At Kensington Palace
When Diana's friend Rosa Monckton gave birth to a stillborn child in 1994, the princess reportedly helped her pal secretly bury her child at Kensington Palace, according to Burrell. Monckton has attested to the veracity of this claim, saying that Diana got away with it by saying that they were interring a pet in the garden.
Diana apparently gave Monckton a key to the garden, which remains in her possession.
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(#4) Charles Supposedly Told Diana 'His Work Was Done' Once She Gave Birth To Harry
Burrell alleges once Diana gave birth to her second son, Prince Harry, the couple was done having kids. In Prince Charles's (reported) own words, they'd provided an "heir" and a "spare" (in case something happened to William) for the throne. Burrell claimed Charles gave Diana this news right after she'd given birth to Harry.
He supposedly said, "My work is done now. I’m off to the theatre with Camilla."
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(#5) Diana's Mother Reportedly Criticized Her Choice Of Men
Princess Diana's relationship with her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, was often contentious. After all, Shand Kydd left her daughter at a young age, though the two bonded later on. However, Diana evidently severed the relationship after what Burrell described as Shand Kydd's prejudiced attitude. Burrell noted Shand Kydd was also rude to her daughter and had an issue with Diana's relationships with Muslim men.
Burrell said he knows this because Diana invited him to listen in on her phone calls.
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(#6) Burrell Said Prince William Told His Mom He'd Reinstate Her Royal Title
When Princess Diana divorced Charles, she lost her royal title. Burrell wrote in his book A Royal Duty about how much this upset the princess. The book also stated the loss of the title meant Diana worried about becoming a commoner again and would perhaps need to curtsy to most of the royal family, including her sons.
In response to his mother's plight, eldest son William allegedly told Diana, "Don't worry, Mummy. I will give it back to you one day when I am king.”
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(#7) They Allegedly Gave Money To Women Working On The Street
Burrell said he and Diana drove around London looking for women engaged in street work. In a leaked legal document, Burrell claimed Diana would give out 50 pounds per person "on condition that they went home and stopped working." She also bought "clothes for them from Marks and Spencer, and she also gave one girl money so that she could buy a coat."
He also alleges Diana would get annoyed if she saw the same individual again without the coat, believing "that she had obviously spent the money on something else."
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(#8) She Reportedly Begged Boyfriend Hasnat Khan To Marry Her
Before dating Dodi Fayed, Diana was apparently head-over-heels in love with Dr. Hasnat Khan. Burrell said he facilitated their romance, setting up candlelit dinners for the duo and shopping for gifts from Diana for Khan.
A leaked police document alleged Diana said Khan was her "soulmate," and she "begged" him to marry her. In fact, Burrell claimed she used Fayed to make Khan jealous.
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(#9) Burrell Said Diana Was The Only One Who Knew He Is Gay
Burrell has said that Diana was the only person who knew he is gay. He was married to a woman during his stint as Diana's butler, but he has since come out and married his partner.
According to an interview Burrell gave on Good Morning Britain, she knew even though he said nothing about it: "We never had that discussion, but it was implicit in everything I did... I chose her dresses, I did wonderful flower arrangements, I chose her jewels, I was her best friend."
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(#10) Burrell Has Claimed An Apparition Of Diana Visits Him At Night
Burrell has claimed an apparition of Diana visits him in his dreams. He has admitted he hoped she would give the go-ahead on his eventual marriage to partner Graham Cooper. Burrell stated his dreams of Diana are so lifelike he sometimes thinks he's back in Kensington Palace.
In these dreams, Burrell says Diana is asking him why he won't tell people she's still alive. Burrell replies the world isn't ready, and they must wait.
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(#11) According to Burrell, Diana Was In More Than One Big Car Accident
Before the Paris incident that took Diana's life, she apparently was in another major accident, according to Burrell. This last revelation occurred in a conversation between Burrell and medium John Edwards on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Australia. Edwards claimed Diana was in another accident before the one that took her life, serving to foreshadow the final event.
Edwards also appeared to know intimate details of Diana's life, such as her favorite glass bird and the dress Burrell last saw her wearing.
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(#12) Diana Reportedly Planned To Move To Malibu
Burrell claimed that Diana was ready to leave London at the time of her passing. She wanted a change of pace - and scenery. Her destination of choice? Malibu, CA. She wasn't planning to live in the Golden State full-time, but she would have maintained a residence by the beach to enjoy the sun and sand with her sons.
She was reportedly excited by the idea of living in America, where she figured she might face less judgment.
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(#13) Want More British Royals?
Whether it’s their lavish lifestyles, their misbehavior, the tradition and mystique that surrounds them, or the pop culture about them, the British royal family has intrigued generations and continues to do so. If you – or someone you know – just can’t get enough of Queen Elizabeth II and her clan, here are our staff’s picks of what to read, watch, and buy next.
Elizabeth: A Celebration in Photos: A Celebration in Photographs of the Queen's Life and Reign is a vibrant, high-resolution collection of images perfect for anyone who enjoys the visual opulence of the British monarchy. Put together by former BBC correspondent Jennie Bond, the collection celebrates the towering presence of Queen Elizabeth II in British life.
Fans of The Crown will enjoy the documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy. In this unique, intimate look at the People’s Princess, her sons and heirs, Prince William and Prince Harry look back on her life and work.
Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy by Alison Weir is ideal for the person who enjoys digging into the longer-view genealogy of the modern royal family. Drawing on countless authorities, both ancient and modern, Alison Weir explores the royal family tree in unprecedented depth and provides a comprehensive guide to the heritage of today’s royal family.
And for a lighter read that’s full of fun facts and surprising stories to delight longtime enthusiasts and new fans alike, This Is a Book for People Who Love the Royals digs into all of the aspects of everyone's favorite monarchy.
And hang around! We’ve written more cool stuff about the British Royals ourselves:
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