Paul Burrell

Paul Burrell RVM (born June 6, 1958) is a British author, media personality, and former member of the British Royal Household staff whose memoirs detailing his decades of service offer an intimate look inside the modern monarchy. Born in Grassmoor, Derbyshire, he entered royal service at age 18 and spent 21 years within the institutional staff structure, moving from a footman at Buckingham Palace to the personal footman of Queen Elizabeth II, before ultimately serving as the dedicated butler to Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, at Highgrove and Kensington Palace. Following Princess Diana's tragic passing in 1997, Burrell became a highly polarizing public figure and vaulted into international publishing prominence with his 2003 #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, A Royal Duty, which was legally cleared in a high-profile state investigation and widely read for its defense of his loyalty to the late Princess. He solidified his status as a prominent media fixture by publishing his 2006 follow-up reflection, The Way We Were: Remembering Diana, and subsequently appearing on numerous high-profile reality television series, including I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Celebrity Big Brother, and Australia's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. A recipient of the Royal Victorian Medal for his personal service to the sovereign, he has also worked as an international flower shop proprietor and a corporate lifestyle consultant, and he continues to deliver global lecture tours and provide broadcast commentary on royal protocols and systemic palace administration.