28 May 2023 , 13:02
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The Duke of Sussex allegedly berated Paul Burrell during a private meeting which ended on a sour note.
Prince William and Prince Harry held a secret meeting with Burrell, Princess Diana's ex-butler, in an attempt to gain further insight into their mother's life.
The meeting, which took place in 2017 at Kensington Palace, occurred just a week before Prince Harry announced his engagement to Meghan Markle.
However, recent reports suggest that the meeting ended on a sour note, with Harry delivering a brutal insult to Burrell, who had penned a tell-all book about their beloved mother.
Paul was one of the 15 famous faces to return to I'm A Celebrity (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)According to a royal source, the Duke of Sussex allegedly berated Burrell during the private meeting, accusing him of exploiting Princess Diana's death for financial gain
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The falling out between the two brothers and Burrell, Paul, who recently appeared on I'm A Celebrity, dates back to 1997 when he published the book "A Royal Duty," in which he divulged details about his friendship with the late Princess.
Until now, it had been widely believed that the brothers had not spoken to Burrell since their mother's funeral.
However, this recent revelation paints a different picture, suggesting that they sought out the ex-butler's perspective on their mother's life.
Burrell served as Princess Diana's butler from 1987 until her tragic death in 1997. (UK Press via Getty Images)The meeting was reportedly kept under wraps, with both parties agreeing to maintain secrecy.
During the meeting, William and Harry sought clarification on various aspects of Princess Diana's life, hoping that Burrell could shed light on their memories and provide a deeper understanding of their mother's experiences.
However, tensions resurfaced when Prince Harry released his memoir, "Spare," where he once again criticized Burrell for capitalizing on their mother's death.
In the book, Harry described how he discovered Burrell's tell-all while in Australia at the age of 19, which left him infuriated.
He accused Burrell of self-justification and self-centeredness, accusing him of exploiting Princess Diana's disappearance for monetary gain.
Harry spoke about the trauma of losing his mum, Princess Diana, at such a young age in his book (Getty Images)He said: ""My mother once called this butler a dear friend, trusted him implicitly. We did too. Now this. He was milking her disappearance for money. It made my blood boil.""
In response to Harry's accusations, Burrell expressed his sadness, feeling dismissed and overlooked despite the years he spent with Princess Diana, acting as her confidante.
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He said: "(Harry) 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.
"I've been dismissed and I'm very sad about that."
The Mirror has reached out to Buckingham Palace for a comment regarding the alleged 2017 meeting between the royal brothers and Paul Burrell.