Paul Burrell, former butler to Diana, Princess of Wales and the man she referred to as “my rock”, pleaded not guilty after appearing in court today charged with stealing over 300 items belonging to her, the Prince of Wales and Prince William.
The former royal servant, who has been on bail since he was arrested on suspicion of theft in January, is due back in court on October 12. He denies the charges and maintains that the items were given to him by his employer. Burrell’s solicitor, Andrew Shaw read a short statement on Thursday saying his client is, “rightly perceived to be a man of integrity and trusted by the royal family”. The former aide received the Royal Victorian Medal in June 1997 in recognition of his support for Diana during her divorce and later served as fundraising manager for her memorial fund.
Some of the 342 items allegedly stolen from Diana include negatives of photos of the young Princes at their birthday parties and on foreign holidays, dozens of ladies handbags, signed CDs, tapes and records, and letters from John Major and Mother Teresa. The former assistant is said to have taken cards enscribed “from mummy” and photos of the young Prince Williams.
Burrell, 43, who is married with two children, joined the Waleses' staff in 1986 and stayed with William and Harry after the couple’s divorce in 1996. Recently, the former aide hit out against certain senior level palace officials, saying, “How can these people believe I betrayed a lifetime of trust and service? I was devoted to Diana. I had a special relationship and I will never abuse the trust she put in me.”
Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace have declined to comment, describing the matter as one purely for the police. It is thought, however, that the Prince of Wales had privately hoped that the former butler would not be prosecuted because of his concern that Prince William and Prince Harry would be dragged into proceedings.
The Princes have already been asked if they could identify certain items involved in the investigation. Both were close to Burrell during his employment.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
