A clandestine meeting between Prince Harry, Prince William, and their mother's former butler, Paul Burrell, has recently come to light. This rendezvous reportedly took place just a week before Prince Harry announced his engagement to Meghan Markle in 2017.
The confidential encounter saw the royal brothers reconnecting with Mr. Burrell, their late mother Princess Diana's trusted aide, and was intended to illuminate some of their childhood recollections, according to an insider. This was a poignant decision as Burrell had fallen out of favor with the princes after Princess Diana's death in 1997 and his subsequent publication of a book about her.
Burrell, who had previously served as the Queen's footman before being a confidant to Princess Diana, whom she fondly referred to as her "rock," had a strained relationship with the princes since the publication of his memoir, "A Royal Duty." The brothers, who were 12 and 15 at the time of their last conversation with Burrell, had considered his book as capitalizing on their mother's death for financial gain.
However, the alleged 2017 meeting, characterized by its discreet nature, marked a significant shift in their relationship. During the meeting, Burrell reportedly addressed all questions from the princes candidly.
A source close to the royal family revealed to The Sun, "It was a very low-key meeting but the brothers wanted to speak to someone who had been close to their mother. 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."
Burrell, who recently appeared on 'I'm A Celebrity: South Africa,' shared his belief that Princess Diana would have ardently wished for her sons' reconciliation.
In his controversial 2023 memoir, "Spare," Prince Harry addressed Burrell's 2001 memoir, calling it a "self-justifying, self-centring version of events," and criticising Burrell for capitalizing on their mother's untimely demise.
In response to Harry's recent disclosures, Burrell expressed his dismay at the prince's transformation and feelings of dismissal, "He has discarded me, but he hasn't thought about all of those years that I spent with his mother, in private, loving her, caring for her, watching out for her."
Both Buckingham Palace and Paul Burrell have been approached for a comment regarding these revelations by The Mirror.
