Paul Burrell

{{short description|Former domestic servant of the British Royal Household}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Paul Burrell

|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=UK|size=100%|RVM}}

|image =

|image_size = 260px

|caption =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1958|6|6}}

|birth_place = Grassmoor, Derbyshire, England

|occupation = Butler to the British Royal Household
Writer
Media personality

|spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Maria Cosgrove|1983|2016|end=div}}
{{marriage|Graham Cooper|2017}}[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/04/no-hiding-unbridled-happiness-paul-burrell-weeps-joy-marries/ 'No more hiding my unbridled happiness': Paul Burrell 'weeps with joy' as he marries boyfriend – The Telegraph]

}}

|children = 2

|website = [http://www.paulburrellrvm.com/ paulburrellrvm.com]

}}

Paul Burrell {{postnominals|country=GBR|RVM}} (born 6 June 1958){{Cite web|last=Burrell|first=Paul|date=|title=About|url=http://www.paulburrellrvm.com/|access-date=18 March 2021|website=Paul Burrell Official Site}} is a former servant of the British Royal Household and latterly butler to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Background and Royal Household career

Burrell was born and raised in Grassmoor, Derbyshire, a coal-mining village.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rac2I8YewvQC|title = A Royal Duty|isbn = 9780399151729|last1 = Burrell|first1 = Paul|year = 2003| publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons }} His parents were Graham Burrell and Beryl Burrell, née Kirk.GRO Births: JUN 1958 3a 205 CHESTERFIELDGRO Marriages: MAR 1957 3a 383 CHESTERFIELD. Graham Burrell = Beryl 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.{{Cite news |first=Charles |last=Moore |title=From below-stairs servant to Hollywood darling |date=2 November 2002 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1411957/From-below-stairs-servant-to-Hollywood-darling.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=27 July 2013 |location=London}} 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".{{Cite web |last=Burrell |first=Paul |url=http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Way-We-Were-Remembering-Diana-Paul-Burrell/9780061341298-item.html?ikwid=remembering+diana&ikwsec=Home |title=The Way We Were: Remembering Diana: Paul Burrell: Books |publisher=Chapters |date=16 August 2007 |access-date=24 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722091234/http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Way-We-Were-Remembering-Diana-Paul-Burrell/9780061341298-item.html?ikwid=remembering+diana&ikwsec=Home |archive-date=22 July 2012 }} 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".{{Cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/diana-s-mother-expresses-her-fury-at-burrell-1-1403475 |title=Diana's mother expresses her fury at Burrell |newspaper=Scotsman |location=UK |date=4 September 2005}}

In 2001, Burrell opened a florist's in Farndon, Cheshire.{{Cite news |url=http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/former-royal-butler-paul-burrell-5186987 |title=Former royal butler Paul Burrell celebrates 10th anniversary of flower shop in Farndon |publisher=Northampton Chronicle and Echo |author=Carmella de Lucia |date=13 October 2011 |access-date=14 August 2014}}

Events since the death of Diana

= Royal Household and inquest-related =

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.[https://www.theguardian.com/monarchy/story/0,2763,825502,00.html "MPs criticise Queen over Burrell case", The Guardian, November 2002]{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/nov/01/monarchy |title=Queen's evidence clears Diana butler |work=The Guardian |date=1 November 2002 |access-date=31 July 2014}}

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,[https://www.theguardian.com/monarchy/story/0,,2240578,00.html Diana considered marrying surgeon, says Burrell, The Guardian] 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.[https://www.theguardian.com/monarchy/story/0,,2236744,00.html "Diana affair over before crash"] by Rosalind Ryan, The Guardian Online, 7 January 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.[https://web.archive.org/web/20071223135258/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/20/ndiana120.xml "Princess Diana letter – 'Charles plans to kill me'"] by Gordon Rayner, The Daily Telegraph Online, 20 December 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2008. 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,{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7280956.stm |work=BBC News |title=Burrell refuses return to inquest |date=6 March 2008 |access-date=22 May 2010}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/06/nburrell106.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309174038/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/06/nburrell106.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 March 2008 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |title=Paul Burrell refuses to return to Diana inquest |first1=Robyn |last1=Powell |date=6 March 2008 |access-date=22 May 2010}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580857/Paul-Burrell-may-face-perjury-investigation-over-Diana-inquest.html |title=Paul Burrell may face perjury investigation over Diana inquest |last=Pierce |first=Andrew |date=6 March 2008 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=4 February 2020 |location=London}} and allegations about his personal life.{{Cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |title=Burrell tried to seduce me, claims Barrymore |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1412794/Burrell-tried-to-seduce-me-claims-Barrymore.html |date=11 November 2002 |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=London |access-date=26 September 2019}}

On 18 February 2008, The Sun newspaper reported that Burrell had admitted, on tape, that he had not told "the whole truth" during his appearance at the Diana inquest; he also said he had thrown in a "few red herrings". Some reports suggested that Burrell could be charged with perjury.{{Cite news |url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1305864,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110522151210/http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1305864,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 May 2011 |title=Paul Burrell: Did He Tell Whole Truth At Diana Inquest? |newspaper=Sky |access-date=24 September 2010}} The Sun said it would hand the tape to the court on 19 February 2008.{{Cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/19/paul.burrell/index.html |newspaper=CNN |title=Diana's butler faces probe of testimony |date=19 February 2008 |access-date=22 May 2010}}

Burrell was criticised for copying Diana's letters and his integrity was called into question. The coroner, Lord Justice Scott Baker, said: "In the end, there is an important issue as to the credibility of the witness."{{Cite news |author=Richard Edwards |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1575707/Paul-Burrell-criticised-for-copying-Diana-letters.html |title=Paul Burrell criticised for copying Diana letters |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=16 January 2008}}

=Memoirs=

In 2003, Burrell released a memoir, A Royal Duty, which follows his career as a member of the Royal staff. It deals with his time as butler to the Prince and Princess of Wales at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, his move to Diana's staff at Kensington Palace after her divorce from Prince Charles, and the dismissal of the theft charges against Burrell. The book was sold internationally and was updated in a paperback edition in 2004. Its publication led to a rift with Buckingham Palace. Princes William and Harry accused Burrell of betraying their mother's confidences. In a joint statement before publication, they called the book "a cold and overt betrayal."{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1445046/A-cold-and-overt-betrayal.html |title='A cold and overt betrayal' |last=Davies |first=Caroline |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=24 October 2003 |access-date=5 February 2020 |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}

Media career

Burrell has appeared multiple times on the reality programme I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, first on the fourth series in November 2004, placing second after 18 Days on the show. In 2018, he participated in the fourth season of the Australian version, as an intruder on Day 17 of the show. He placed 9th, being evicted on Day 37. In 2023, he appeared in I'm a Celebrity... South Africa, a special All-Star edition of I'm a Celebrity with other former notable contestants.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-26 |title=I'm A Celebrity Unveils Line-Up For Upcoming All Stars Series In South Africa |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/im-a-celebrity-south-africa-all-stars-series-unveils-line-up_uk_641feb28e4b03793a8b004ec |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=HuffPost UK}}

He also appeared as a judge and trainer on Australian Princess in 2005, and in March 2006 appeared on Countdown in Dictionary Corner.

In early 2006, he appeared as Richard Gere on ITV's Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, singing "Razzle Dazzle" from Chicago, the film version of the Broadway musical. A further TV appearance in September 2006 was followed by another in 2015.

In February 2017, Burrell and his house in Peckforton appeared in an episode of ITV's UK reality TV series Through the Keyhole with Keith Lemon.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/paul-burrell-reveals-very-polite-9823694 |title=Paul Burrell reveals the VERY polite way the Queen eats a banana |last=Gibb |first=Jessica |date=15 February 2017 |website=mirror |access-date=5 February 2020}} In August 2017, he appeared in Series 2 of the Channel 5 UK reality TV series In Therapy. In November 2017, a television documentary, Diana: The Royal Truth, for which Burrell was the primary source, was released in the UK.{{cite web|url=https://imdb.com/title/tt13490876/|website=IMDb|title= Diana: The Royal Truth|access-date= 8 September 2022}}

Personal life

Burrell was married to Maria Cosgrove. They met while working in Buckingham Palace and have two sons.

In 2017, a divorced Burrell announced he was marrying his partner, Graham Cooper,{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/07/princess-dianas-former-butler-paul-burrell-marry-boyfriend-divorcing/ |title=Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell to marry his boyfriend after divorcing his wife last year |work=The Telegraph |access-date=7 March 2017 |language=en-GB}} a corporate lawyer, he met ten years prior.{{cite web|last=Mulvaney|first=Amy|title=Princess Diana's butler Paul Burrell reveals he's marrying his lawyer boyfriend|url=https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/princess-dianas-butler-paul-burrell-reveals-hes-marrying-his-lawyer-boyfriend-nine-months-after-divorcing-his-wife-35508615.html|work=The Irish Independent|date=7 March 2017|access-date=1 August 2021}} This occurred on 2 April 2017 in Bowness-on-Windermere.

In July 2019, Burrell sold his florist shop as a going concern{{Cite web |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/paul-burrell-puts-farndon-shop-15782173 |title=Paul Burrell puts his Farndon shop up for sale as he retires |last=Holmes |first=David |date=5 February 2019 |website=chesterchronicle|access-date=5 February 2020}} and retired to live with his husband in Peckforton, Cheshire.{{Cite web |url=https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/776431/paul-burrell-gay-princess-diana-butler-secrets |title=Princess Diana: Keeper of her butler Paul Burrell's secrets |last=Midgley |first=Dominic |date=8 March 2017 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en |access-date=5 February 2020}}

Burrell is a fan of Wrexham Football Club{{Cite web |url=http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/86062/-i-m-a-celebrity-star-and-former-royal-butler-paul-burrell-back-in-wrexham.aspx |title=The Leader - 'I'm a Celebrity' star and former Royal butler Paul Burrell back in Wrexham |access-date=25 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311210814/http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/86062/-i-m-a-celebrity-star-and-former-royal-butler-paul-burrell-back-in-wrexham.aspx |archive-date=11 March 2010 |url-status=dead }} and St Helens Rugby Football Club.{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/public_life/paul_burrell.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021202114547/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/public_life/paul_burrell.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2002 |title=Paul Burrell |access-date=8 March 2008 |work=BBC Wales |publisher=BBC }} His pastimes include travelling and painting churchyard scenes.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17873548.bolton-couple-got-two-ex-prime-ministers-princess-diana-39-s-butler-part-wedding-day-celebrations/ |title=How this Bolton couple got two ex-Prime Ministers and Princess Diana's butler to be part of their wedding day celebrations |website=The Bolton News |date=2 September 2019 |language=en |access-date=6 February 2020}}

In January 2023, Burrell announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and was receiving treatment.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/paul-burrell-prostate-cancer-diagnosis-b2271840.html|title=Former royal butler Paul Burrell discloses 'life changing' cancer diagnosis|work=The Independent|first=Ellie|last=Muir|date=30 January 2023|accessdate=30 January 2023}} On 16 November 2023, during an appearance on the ITV British breakfast television programme Lorraine, he announced that he had been given the "all clear" regarding his cancer but would need further follow up and medical care.{{cite news |last1=Owen |first1=Cathy |title=Former royal butler Paul Burrell gives cancer battle update |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/former-royal-butler-paul-burrell-28116977 |access-date=17 November 2023 |work=Wales Online |date=16 November 2023 |language=en}}

Honours

He was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in November 1997 for services to the Royal Family.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070715195956/http://www.paulburrellrvm.com/bio.html Paul Burrell official website archive]