Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, has shared an emotional memory of how her sons, Princes William and Prince Harry, dealt with their grief in the days following the tragic car crash in Paris in August 1997.
Diana’s untimely passing left the world in shock, and for her two sons, aged just 15 and 12, the loss was nothing short of devastating.
Burrell started his career in the British Royal Household at 18, later becoming personal footman to Queen Elizabeth II and then Diana’s butler in 1987, a position where he became close to the Princess, who called him “the only man she ever trusted.”
Speaking on the What if? podcast, Burrell recalled how Harry, deeply affected by the death of Diana in a car crash in Paris in 1997, broke down in his arms.
Paul Burrell, 66, said:“I know Harry’s gone rogue, but I still care for him, and I want him to be happy because I know that his heart broke, because on that day when he came back to Kensington Palace and ran down that corridor, he flung himself into my arms and wrapped his arms tight around me and cried so much my shirt went transparent.
“We all knew that our hearts were broken because we’d lost her.”
Burrell explained that he took them both on a walk around the apartments and into Diana’s bedroom and dressing room, where her clothes were laid out in preparation for her returnn and encouraged them to take something meaningful with them, something they could hold, smell, or touch.
William chose his mother’s watch, remembering how she was always on time, while Harry, unsure of what to take, decided on her hairbrush, still containing her hair.
Burrell added: “Harry’s heart broke in bits and William’s did, but he was able to be stoic, he was able to stand upright, he was able not to show his emotion, because he was older.
“But poor Harry, he was in bits.
“I’ll never forget; I’ll never forget those days, and they won’t forget them either.”
Burrell expressed his ongoing care and affection for the boys he once helped Princess Diana look after, saying he continues to watch Prince William and Prince Harry on the world stage with love.
