

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell isn't particularly popular with members of the Royal Family these days, because of his willingness to publicly reveal details about his time working for them.
Exhibit A: Diana's children Prince William and Prince Harry apparently did not speak to Burrell for years after their mom's 1997 funeral, and were reportedly not impressed with his 2000 memoir A Royal Duty, which looked back on his time with Diana.
However, according to one source who spoke to The Sun, the royal brothers actually broke their silence towards Burrell to secretly meet with him in 2017, the week before Harry announced his engagement to Meghan Markle.
"It was a low-key meeting but the brothers wanted to speak to someone who had been close to their mother," the source said (via Express).
"There were some aspects of her life they felt Paul could provide better clarity on. They asked to keep it all under wraps and he respected that. Paul was happy to tell them everything he knew and shed some light on their memories."
While it sounds like that particular meeting went well, it didn't truly clear the air between Burrell and the royals.
Years later, writing in his memoir Spare, Harry described how betrayed he felt by Burrell's decision to write about Diana, and admitted he felt Burrell was "milking" her death.
Burrell was not pleased about this development.
Commenting on the book in January of this year, he said, "I was really upset, really upset [by] the fact that he referred to me as 'the butler,' 'mummy’s butler.' Well, mummy’s butler was called Paul, Harry, and you knew me, all your life you’ve known me as Paul.
"He had never known me as 'the butler' so why suddenly has there been a shift only recently, a shift to being called the butler? Suddenly I’m sort of being dismissed by this petulant prince as irrelevant because he says my tell-all book told nothing."
Oof. I think it's safe to say Burrell and Harry are no longer on speaking terms.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Cody Rigsby Has the Most Relatable Fictional Crush
"I just think he could really like throw you around in the bedroom."
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
Paris Fashion Week’s Street Style Is Paying Due Respect to Beauty
Hair clips, nail art, and piercings round out fashion month’s circuit.
By Samantha Holender
-
Ava Phillippe Wears Ethereal White to Stella McCartney’s Paris Fashion Week Show
She added a clutch and snakeskin sandals to complete the look.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Omid Scobie Just Teased His Upcoming Royal Book, And It Sounds JUICY
He's going IN.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
7 Words the Royal Family Simply Won’t Say
Some will probably shock you.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince Harry and Prince William Are Reportedly NOT Speaking Right Now, In Case You Were Wondering
Oof.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Meghan Markle Going Back to Acting Would Be a "Step Down," Royal Author Claims
There have been rumors this might be her next move.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are "Casually House Hunting" in Malibu, According to a Source
How does it feel to be living my dream?
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Princess Charlotte Was Princess Kate's "Mini-Me" at Wimbledon, Body Language Expert Says
They seem like great friends these days.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
While Prince William and Princess Kate Try to Treat Their 3 Kids Equally, Royal Life Means Prince George Sometimes Has to Come First: Expert
Being—and raising—a future King is a lot to handle.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
The Late Queen "Would Have Appreciated" the Modern, Loving Way the Wales Children Are Raised, Royal Expert Says
They are kept so safe.
By Iris Goldsztajn