Princess Diana's Butler Shares Her Private Letter About Prince Harry and Prince William

Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana, has unearthed a never-before-seen private letter from Princess Diana to him. The words are particularly meaningful right now.

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Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana, has unearthed a never-before-seen private letter from Princess Diana to him. The words are particularly meaningful in the wake of reported rifts between Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles after Harry and Meghan Markle suddenly resigned as senior members of the Royal Family. 

"I love my boys to death and hope that the seeds I’ve planted will grow and bring the strength, knowledge, and stability that is needed," the excerpt reads. Burrell explained why he was sharing the message now: "They are a mother’s words of unconditional love which are as appropriate today as they were when she wrote them over 24 years ago." At least in Harry's case, the strength to carve his own path must have been extreme. Hopefully reports are also true that the brothers have resolved their differences through secret peace talks.

It seems pretty clear that Harry's thinking of his mother right now. He referenced her specifically (and her death) in a recent speech explaining why he's stepping back. Not only that, but it bears a striking resemblance to Princess Diana's similar stepping-back speech in 1993. He's also said that the paparazzi and British media scrutiny on his family reminds him of what happened to his mom, and he's taking steps to protect his family.

He earlier published another small excerpt (from what I'm assuming is the same letter). He explained, "In my heart I know that she would want Harry and Meghan to be happy above all else. Yesterday I found a letter which the Princess wrote to me so many years ago and one line jumped out from the page. In her hand she wrote...'I would look up and laugh and love and live.'" You can swipe to see the excerpt:

officialpaulburrell

(Image credit: @officialpaulburrell)

Really sweet, and really poignant.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.