Paul Burrell joined the royal household as a young footman and went on to serve Princess Diana for ten years at Kensington Palace. Diana trusted him completely. She once described him as her rock.
After Diana died in Paris in August 1997, Burrell stayed close to her memory and helped her family in the difficult months that followed. But in January 2001, police searched his home and found hundreds of items connected to Diana, Prince Charles and Prince William. He was charged with theft.
In October 2002, Burrell went on trial at the Old Bailey, accused of stealing 315 items, including letters, photographs and clothing. He insisted he had only been keeping them safe. If convicted, he faced prison.
The trial gripped Britain. Each day brought new details about life inside Kensington Palace, and the press filled pages with stories about the princess and her household.
Then came an extraordinary twist. During the trial, the Queen recalled a private meeting with Burrell in the weeks after Diana’s death. In that conversation, he had told her he was keeping some of Diana’s papers for safekeeping.
Her recollection was passed to the police and prosecutors. It changed everything. On 1 November 2002, the case collapsed, and Burrell walked free from court.
Many people asked why the Queen’s memory had surfaced so late, and the timing became a subject of fierce debate in the newspapers.
But the story did not end there. Soon afterwards, Burrell sold his story to a newspaper and began revealing private details of his years with Diana. In 2003 he published a book that included some of her private letters. Princes William and Harry publicly called it a cold and overt betrayal.
For the man Diana once called her rock, it was an extraordinary turn. And for the royal family, a trial that should have closed the matter opened a whole new chapter instead.