Butler's trial pushes princess into public eye again
Posted on 10/20/2002 6:36:39 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Butler's trial pushes princess into public eye again
Burrell admits having Diana's items but says he wouldn't sell them
10/20/2002
LONDON - There is no doubt that Princess Diana's butler did it - even he admits that he had hundreds of personal items belonging to her squirreled away at his house - but no one except Paul Burrell really knows why.
Prosecutors in the theft trial of Mr. Burrell, the butler who became a close confidant of Princess Diana in the difficult years after her divorce from Prince Charles, say that he stole the items so that he could sell them for millions of dollars.
Mr. Burrell was arrested in January 2001 and has pleaded innocent to three charges related to the theft.
There is little doubt about the value of the treasure trove taken from Princess Diana's living quarters at Kensington Palace. There are hundreds of family photos never seen by the public, handmade Versace dresses worn by the princess, and warm notes she wrote to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The notes to Prince William begin "Dear Wombat," her pet name for her eldest son, the heir to the British throne.
Even some of Princess Diana's monogrammed pajamas were found at Mr. Burrell's home, along with designer handbags, some antique desks, rare crystal made especially for the Prince and Princess of Wales, and signed photos showing Prince William with sexy models Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Christie Turlington.
But Mr. Burrell - a 44-year-old man whom Princess Diana called "my rock" - maintains he never planned to sell the items and only took them because the princess would not have wanted the intimate family items to fall into public hands, where they might be exploited by tabloid newspaper editors or sold to collectors.
The butler, who dressed Princess Diana's body for her funeral, says he remained her loyal servant even after she was killed in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. But prosecutors, backed by Princess Diana's mother and sister, maintain that Mr. Burrell betrayed her memory.
"Imagine, if you will, the value of these items on the open market," said Prosecutor William Boyce, showing the jury intimate photos of the two young princes bathing in the same tub. "These should not have been with Mr. Burrell. These should have been returned to the family."
Some of the pictures held by Mr. Burrell show Prince Charles and Princess Diana laughing and cuddling with each other during the early days of their marriage - an image that is a far cry from the frosty images of their final years together.
Mr. Burrell was also found to have hundreds of Princess Diana's CDs - including music from Abba, Michael Jackson, and Tina Turner - that were each signed by the princess and old-fashioned vinyl LPs that were signed with her maiden name, "Diana Spencer."
The prosecutor, Mr. Boyce, said even these items would have tremendous value because they were signed by the princess.
The case has revived interest in Princess Diana - to the relief of tabloid newspaper editors, who once again have a legitimate reason to splash her picture across their font pages - and brought television cameras and newspaper scribes back to Old Bailey, London's centuries-old criminal court.
The reason for the hubbub is simple, said Nadeen Atzal, one of dozens of people waiting for a chance to squeeze into the small public gallery. "Everyone is still interested in Diana," he said. "People are coming from all over the world for this."
He said the prosecution had made a strong case, adding that Mr. Burrell's defense - that Princess Diana wanted him to have these items - strained credibility.
"Maybe 10 or 12 items, but not hundreds," he said.
Others in the gallery were impressed when the prosecutor pointed out that Princess Diana did not leave Mr. Burrell any money or property in her will, which seems to undercut the butler's claim that he was extremely close to the princess and that she was looking out for his family.
In a sworn statement, Mr. Burrell said that Princess Diana was incredibly generous with her possessions and once gave his sons a laptop computer intended for her own sons because she decided the princes did not need more computers.
Mr. Burrell, who is expected to testify on his own behalf, said in his written statement that he understood why people were questioning why he had some of the items - including computer disks with the princess's financial data - and said he had planned to return them to the family eventually.
"At some point, I intended to do what was appropriate with them but the horrific events of her death made me sure that to hold on to the items was the only safe way of protecting her memory," he said in his statement.
He also described a bond with Princess Diana that went beyond a client-servant relationship. He said he provided 24-hour a day advice and service to the princess in the troubled last months of her life. The princess played such an important role in his life, he said, that his own wife referred to Diana as the "third person" in their marriage.
He said that he knew a tremendous amount about Princess Diana's private life but had never spoken about it out of respect for her memory.
Robert Lacey, author of several highly regarded books about the royal family, said Prince Charles and his two sons, Princes William and Harry, continue to hold the butler in high regard because he has not sold his story to book publishers or tabloid editors.
"He is the only one who was a loyal retainer to Diana who has not cashed in," said Mr. Lacey, referring to "tell all" books by others privy to Diana's private life. "I think that speaks well about his motives."
Robert Lacey, author of several highly regarded books about the royal family, said Prince Charles and his two sons, Princes William and Harry, continue to hold the butler in high regard because he has not sold his story to book publishers or tabloid editors.
"He is the only one who was a loyal retainer to Diana who has not cashed in," said Mr. Lacey, referring to "tell all" books by others privy to Diana's private life. "I think that speaks well about his motives."
That was my impression also when I read this story. But the Dallas Morning News opted to put that at the very end.....
August 17 2001
Paul Burrell arrives at court
The former butler to Diana, Princess of Wales, Paul Burrell, arrives at Bow Street magistrates court in central London, where he is accused of stealing hundreds of personal possessions from her, the Prince of Wales and Prince William. He was charged yesterday with three counts of theft relating to 342 items said to have been stolen from Kensington Palace.
Photo: Peter Jordan, PA
17.08.01: Diana's ex-butler charged with theft
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Leni
Thanks for the link....
My wife obsevered ( with her usual wit & sarcasm ) "So, she's going to come back from the dead?"
My wife obsevered ( with her usual wit & sarcasm ) "So, she's going to come back from the dead?"
LOL !!
Wotcha!
Yes, please keep me on the list!
FRegards, Mike
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