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Anorak News | Brought To Book

Brought To Book

by | 28th, October 2003

‘“VERY personal, very unpleasant, very damaging.” Not, as you may suppose, a description of Princess Diana’s odious little butler, but of a tape that his late mistress told him could destroy the monarchy.

A picture of betrayal

As Paul Burrell’s memoirs of life inside Kensington Palace went on sale yesterday, the man himself embarked on a whirlwind tour of the TV and radio studios to promote the book.

And he told Channel 4’s Richard & Judy show that Diana made a tape in 1996 of disclosures made by ex-royal servant George Smith, in which he claims he was raped by a royal aide – and also witnessed a sex act involving a member of the Royal Family.

The Mirror quotes Smith as saying that making public the contents of the tape would have “terrible consequences”.

The whereabouts of the recording (which used to be stored in Princess Diana’s mahogany box) is unknown – it mysteriously disappeared after her death in August 1997.

But Burrell claims he knows what is on the tape, even if he is refusing to reveal it – for now.

No wonder the Sun says the 44-year-old Judas fears that he’ll be killed to stop him revealing any more secrets.

And if Prince William had his way, he would probably administer the coup de grace – but there is some confusion in the papers as to whether he will get his chance.

The Sun says the Queen is right behind Princess Diana’s oldest son, who made an outspoken attack on Burrell at the end of last week, and has given her blessing to a face-to-face meeting with him in a bid to stop further revelations.

But the Star says Her Madge has stepped in to block any meeting with the “royal blabbermouth”, who said he wanted to give the 21-year-old prince “a piece of his mind”.

He might have got a piece of the Prince’s fist in return and no-one would have cared too much, least of all the Queen.

The Express says that she is furious that the book, called (with bitter irony) A Royal Duty, contains an implicit endorsement from Buckingham Palace.

The back-sleeve of the 396-page book features an alleged remark by the Queen to Burrell, which says: “No one has been closer to my family that you have.”

A senior royal source tells the paper: “This is outrageous. It just adds insult to injury. It makes it appear as though Her Majesty has given the book her approval.

“Nothing can be further from the truth.”

Apart perhaps from Burrell’s claim that he wrote his tawdry little book as a tribute to his late mistress.’



Posted: 28th, October 2003 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink