How One Royal "Upset" Prince Philip, Who Became "Suspicious"

Prince Philip points at the camera while he meets guests in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme on July 13, 2006 — (Image credit: Getty Images/Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/WireImage)

Since his death in April 2021, Prince Philip has been remembered for a plethora of things. For instance, the former Duke of Edinburgh reportedly told grandson Prince Harry that "everything crumbles" in life without work. He also allegedly disliked Sarah Ferguson's "attitude to royal life." And according to a former royal butler, Philip was vocal about his disappointment following the release of a book about Princess Diana.

In the book A Royal Duty, former butler Paul Burrell recalled the Royal Family's reaction to the release of Andrew Morton's famous Princess Diana biography.

"At Windsor, Prince Philip made it clear that everyone was upset by the biased account in the Morton book," Burrell explained. "He told [Princess Diana] that everyone was suspicious of her involvement."

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Burrell continued, "The princess, by then in denial, insisted that she had not assisted the author. I honestly believe that she was taken aback by the scale of what she had unleashed."

Princess Diana wearing a white polka dot dress and hat looking sullen next to Prince Philip at the Epsom Derby — "He told the princess that everyone was suspicious of her involvement."

Andrew Morton

'Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words'

Paul Burrell

'A Royal Duty'

Princess Diana famously collaborated with Morton for the book, secretly recording herself answering questions for the author. Following her death, Morton released an updated version of the biography and confirmed the former Princess of Wales's involvement. But during her life, both Morton and Diana staunchly denied that she'd contributed to the book, presumably due to the backlash from the Royal Family and the general public.

Diana, Princess Of Wales, Wearing A White And Blue Lace And Sequin Evening Coat-dress (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images) — "I honestly believe that she was taken aback by the scale of what she had unleashed."

According to Burrell, Diana had said, "The publication of that book was an unbearable time. Only my friends guided me through." The royal butler also alleged that Diana's behavior had been "rash, impulsive, and confused." But, without a doubt, Morton's biography remains a unique insight into the life of a much-loved royal who died too young.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.