A Royal Duty

Diana was a sad woman….full of insecurities, low self esteem and a constant need for attention. This was rooted in an unhappy childhood which set the stage for all the problems to come. Completely mismatched with a spoiled much older royal who had childhood issues as well. Paul Burrell was indeed an insider who became a co-dependent in this needy circus ignoring his own marriage & family. I would say he enjoyed his “power” to control access to the Princess & take on the overwhelming needs of a girl who required 24 hr. emotional support & reassurance. They were the neediest couple in this whole pathetic scenario. What a sad tale….a grown woman who couldn’t grow up & her enabling butler therapist.

Immediately after the tragic death of the much-loved Princess of Wales, there came a plethora of books claiming to be offering the real story of the woman behind the glamourous facade. For the most part, those books seemed to be mean-spirited attempts to bash the Princess' memory while at the same time lining their authors' pockets. Virtually all of these authors appeared to hew to the theory that, since the law does not recognize slander as a legal action when the topic at hand is a deceased party, they then could engage in character assassination, so long as the same re-hashed old tales sold yet more books.In contrast, A ROYAL DUTY is the rare book which attempts to defend and explain the way in which the Princess of Wales lived her life. Thus, simply for going against the tide, it is valuable.Perhaps author Paul Burrell is slightly overwrought in his devotion to the late Princess. He's entitled to be. He dedicated his career to her. Reading between the lines, he has not yet gotten over his first glimpse of her corpse, presumably after its autopsy, a sight for which he was emotionally unprepared, and a sight from which her ex-husband and her family must have been shielded.Was Burrell in love with Diana? Probably, a little bit, in a way that defines the concept of perfect and platonic love. As such, he is her protector. He says that he wrote this book to defend Diana, to explain her side of the story to her sons, and to justify his complete lack of guilt in the witch hunt which Scotland Yard and the royal courtiers mounted against him. On all counts, he makes a compelling case and, reading this book, I came to believe him.Burrell is affronted by the way in which Prince Charles treated his young bride and Burrell makes it his business to make certain that the world (and, therefore, the couple's sons) know the truth. He also wants to be sure that there is no question but that Diana had not wanted the divorce from Charles, that she had loved Charles when she married him, and that she loved him until the day she died.Burrell explains the harshness with which Diana consistently was treated by her in-laws' advisors and counselors. He speaks highly of the Queen, his original boss, and also of the Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. He credits both of them with trying to save the Wales' marriage. He writes that Diana was grateful to each of them for the rest of her short life, remaining in frequent communication with the couple. Burrell is less tolerant, reasonably so, with the indecisive and arrogant Prince of Wales.Burrell may be even more offended by the Earl Spencer, brother of the late Princess, and by other members of the Spencer family, than he is by the Windsors. In fairness, the Spencers treated both Diana and Burrell far more shabbily than the Royals did.He cannot understand how the Earl could have offered the Princess use of a house on the family estate, to her obvious elation, and then withdrawn the offer. He cannot understand how, after

This book is so well done. It actually has something to say. It actually has heart and soul. It doesn't pander tothe royals, but it also doesn't drag them through the mud. It is balanced and seems to have come from a place of personal ethics in terms of how it was written and what topics it covers. Mr. Burrell's absolute passion for the queen and the monarcy, not to mention Diana, is obvious, as is his respect for the royals. Layered into the story is information about how his own family life with his wife and sons fit into and was affected by his almost 24/7 work in various palaces. This is an interesting, intriguing, inside look at the life of an obviously loyal and loving member of the royals' staff. Unlike some frankly bitchy books about the royals, my hands did NOT feel dirty when I put this book down. Far from it. I felt uplifted.

I couldn't put this book down once I began reading. Paul Burrell captures the essence of Princess Diana. He doesn't attempt to portray her as a saint; rather a human being like anyone else. I believe he wrote from the heart. Princess Diana was portrayed like every other person-she wasn't perfect, but somehow Paul Burrell takes these imperfections and makes them seem not so bad. Yes, she had a bit of a temper (who doesn't?), yes, she could be demanding, and yes, she appeared desperate at times. But, Paul Burrell also portrays the Diana that adored her sons more than life itself. He also wrote of her immense generosity and kindness. This is one book I enjoyed reading about the Princess because somehow she became real for me in this book.

This may well be the definitive biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. Paul Burrell has reason to resent the Royal family for putting him through the trial, but instead he shows us their human side. I was enthralled when I read Di's letter after the divorce in which she said she wanted to hug her mother-in-law and when I read Prince Philip's letter signed "Pa". I am sorry that the young princes have spoken out against this book; it tells the truth and does not reflect negatively on any of the Royals.

An interesting if a little dry account of life with Diana. She was obviously no stroll in the park to work for -- indeed none of the royals come across as easy keepers.The big secret I want Burrell to come clean about is where Diana is actually buried. She is certainly NOT buried out on "Dog Island" which is so shallow that any hole dug in the earth there deeper than about a foot fills with water. I imagine she has been quietly entombed in the family vault with the island myth developed to misdirect the public.The Spencer family have a lot to answer for if Burrell's account is to be believed. They seem a much nastier lot than the Windsors by a long stretch.