A Not-so-Merry Christmas for Royals, 1997 season:
Diana Feared Car Accident, Camilla a Decoy, The Nanny Charles’ True Love
(New York) A letter written to butler Paul Burrell printed in New York Post yesterday, Princess Diana revealed fears of a automobile accident and that both she and Camilla Parker Bowles are decoys because Prince Charles wishes to marry her son’s nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke. Burrell has said that the letter was taken from his home without his knowledge, but the Times reports they paid him to make a copy of the original and that the entire matter is documented. The story indicated there were a about a dozen more letters to print.
Burrell Sacked Over Cash for Letter
(New York) Paul Burrell was escorted from Kensington Palace last night and search warrant executed on his home and office, with all computers in the home being seized for examination. Scotland Yard is questioning Burrell regarding a 1993 note from the Princess of Wales that was published in the Post yesterday. The Post regrets any distress the publication caused the Princess of Wales or Mrs. Parker Bowles or Ms. Legge-Bourke and contacted all three to make suitable donation to a charity of their choice.
Max Callfield Questioned in “Dianagate”
(New York) Publicist Max Callfield spent over an hour answering questions about the letters to Princess Di’s former butler Burrell that ended up printed in the New York Post. He admitted that he informed Burrell that the Post would welcome the story. Burrell, who resides in England, has been asked to answer questions but has declined, saying his solicitors will speak for him on the subject from now on.
Lawsuit Over Letter, Merry Xmas Paul Burrell
(London) A press release from the office of the Princess of Wales states that she is pursuing legal action over the release of a note from her to her then-employee, Paul Burrell, claiming it violating his employment contract and was an egregious breach of trust of his position. Burrell initially claimed the letter had been taken without his knowledge, but was forced to admit that he was paid by the New York Post for it while visiting the United States in early December.
Excerpt from second television snterview with Martin Bashir, 23 December 1997:
The interview takes place in Kensington Palace, with Diana dressed in a light-blue blouse and looks healthy.
Martin Bashir: So, physically, you’ve recovered?
Diana: Yes, apart from the odd nightmare, but that’s to be expected.
MB: What about the rumors?
D: (looks exasperated) Which one? The one where I’m to be killed because of a friend’s religion? The one where I’m being kept under lock and key by the Queen? The one started by a man I’ve sacked with a stolen letter?
MB: You did mention a car accident in it.
D: I was under a lot of stress when I wrote it. It was rubbish, just my attempt to make sense of things at the time. My marriage was falling apart, I didn’t know how to fix it, I didn’t know if I wanted to fix it, I was scared that if I divorced Charles I’d never see my boys again – obviously garbage, because I’m a fit mum. I’m not some nutter, I’ve gotten counseling for those feelings and dealt with them.
MB: Trevor Rees-Jones said you hadn’t buckled up until that last ride. He said –
D: Yes, yes, I know. He says he’d been telling us to buckle up all night. But he doesn’t seem to have realized Mr. Paul was drunk, did he? (angrily) He was of absolutely no use to me or Dodi that night! If Mr. Fayed wishes to blame someone, he’d best look at his own employees. Mr. Paul and Mr. Rees-Jones both worked for him!
MB: And you didn’t lose a baby in the crash?
D: I lost a shoe. I ended up at hospital with only one shoe. No, I didn’t lose a baby; it’s more rubbish. More drama in a situation that’s already sad enough. Two people died, that’s sad enough. I only knew one of them, but I’m saddened that the pair of them died.
MB: What about Burrell’s statement that you’re now under the control of Buckingham Palace?
D: I fired Mr. Burrell for several reasons, one of which is he mistakes his ideas for facts. I’m at my home, it happens to be KP, I negotiated for it in the divorce. So I am right where I want to be. I’ve got the money to buy another flat, like I did before my marriage, or an estate and I can afford to pay guards.
MB: So, you’ve discounted the terrorism theory, that the IRA or –
D: The only terror in this has come from Burrell, betraying my confidence and seeing things that aren’t there. If I believed for one moment that the royal family had anything to do with Fayed’s drunken driver, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be holed up in a place near my boys, seeing them on the week-ends and I certainly wouldn’t have a Scotland Yard detective patrolling the grounds.
MB: You’ve filed a lawsuit against Paul Burrell.
D: He betrayed me, he violated his agreement with me and released information from when I was in a vulnerable state and used it for profit. So, call me vindictive, but I want every pence he got from selling me out and then some. I think anyone would want that satisfaction, of bringing down someone who betrayed them.
MB: What about Mohammed al-Fayed’s support of Mr. Burrell? He has gone on the record as saying the accident is proof of your fears and that it served to keep the future King of England from having a Muslim step-father.
D: Mr. al-Fayed is still grieving the loss of his son; despite what Dodi may have told him, our relationship was casual and definitely not headed into a serious romance. It was, what’s the term?
MB: Summer fling?
D: Yes, a summer fling. We had about two months of fun and then we were going back to our real lives. The letter was from ’93. I’d just gotten separated and was seeing hobgoblins everywhere. As I said, I’ve had considerable counseling since then and realize that I wrote that in a moment of fear after watching some movie where the leading lady was being persecuted. Mr. Burrell knows all that and he still sold the letter. He’s worse than the paparazzi, in my opinion. I expect them to be greedy, selfish, and out for themselves.
Diana Feared Car Accident, Camilla a Decoy, The Nanny Charles’ True Love
(New York) A letter written to butler Paul Burrell printed in New York Post yesterday, Princess Diana revealed fears of a automobile accident and that both she and Camilla Parker Bowles are decoys because Prince Charles wishes to marry her son’s nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke. Burrell has said that the letter was taken from his home without his knowledge, but the Times reports they paid him to make a copy of the original and that the entire matter is documented. The story indicated there were a about a dozen more letters to print.
Burrell Sacked Over Cash for Letter
(New York) Paul Burrell was escorted from Kensington Palace last night and search warrant executed on his home and office, with all computers in the home being seized for examination. Scotland Yard is questioning Burrell regarding a 1993 note from the Princess of Wales that was published in the Post yesterday. The Post regrets any distress the publication caused the Princess of Wales or Mrs. Parker Bowles or Ms. Legge-Bourke and contacted all three to make suitable donation to a charity of their choice.
Max Callfield Questioned in “Dianagate”
(New York) Publicist Max Callfield spent over an hour answering questions about the letters to Princess Di’s former butler Burrell that ended up printed in the New York Post. He admitted that he informed Burrell that the Post would welcome the story. Burrell, who resides in England, has been asked to answer questions but has declined, saying his solicitors will speak for him on the subject from now on.
Lawsuit Over Letter, Merry Xmas Paul Burrell
(London) A press release from the office of the Princess of Wales states that she is pursuing legal action over the release of a note from her to her then-employee, Paul Burrell, claiming it violating his employment contract and was an egregious breach of trust of his position. Burrell initially claimed the letter had been taken without his knowledge, but was forced to admit that he was paid by the New York Post for it while visiting the United States in early December.
Excerpt from second television snterview with Martin Bashir, 23 December 1997:
The interview takes place in Kensington Palace, with Diana dressed in a light-blue blouse and looks healthy.
Martin Bashir: So, physically, you’ve recovered?
Diana: Yes, apart from the odd nightmare, but that’s to be expected.
MB: What about the rumors?
D: (looks exasperated) Which one? The one where I’m to be killed because of a friend’s religion? The one where I’m being kept under lock and key by the Queen? The one started by a man I’ve sacked with a stolen letter?
MB: You did mention a car accident in it.
D: I was under a lot of stress when I wrote it. It was rubbish, just my attempt to make sense of things at the time. My marriage was falling apart, I didn’t know how to fix it, I didn’t know if I wanted to fix it, I was scared that if I divorced Charles I’d never see my boys again – obviously garbage, because I’m a fit mum. I’m not some nutter, I’ve gotten counseling for those feelings and dealt with them.
MB: Trevor Rees-Jones said you hadn’t buckled up until that last ride. He said –
D: Yes, yes, I know. He says he’d been telling us to buckle up all night. But he doesn’t seem to have realized Mr. Paul was drunk, did he? (angrily) He was of absolutely no use to me or Dodi that night! If Mr. Fayed wishes to blame someone, he’d best look at his own employees. Mr. Paul and Mr. Rees-Jones both worked for him!
MB: And you didn’t lose a baby in the crash?
D: I lost a shoe. I ended up at hospital with only one shoe. No, I didn’t lose a baby; it’s more rubbish. More drama in a situation that’s already sad enough. Two people died, that’s sad enough. I only knew one of them, but I’m saddened that the pair of them died.
MB: What about Burrell’s statement that you’re now under the control of Buckingham Palace?
D: I fired Mr. Burrell for several reasons, one of which is he mistakes his ideas for facts. I’m at my home, it happens to be KP, I negotiated for it in the divorce. So I am right where I want to be. I’ve got the money to buy another flat, like I did before my marriage, or an estate and I can afford to pay guards.
MB: So, you’ve discounted the terrorism theory, that the IRA or –
D: The only terror in this has come from Burrell, betraying my confidence and seeing things that aren’t there. If I believed for one moment that the royal family had anything to do with Fayed’s drunken driver, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be holed up in a place near my boys, seeing them on the week-ends and I certainly wouldn’t have a Scotland Yard detective patrolling the grounds.
MB: You’ve filed a lawsuit against Paul Burrell.
D: He betrayed me, he violated his agreement with me and released information from when I was in a vulnerable state and used it for profit. So, call me vindictive, but I want every pence he got from selling me out and then some. I think anyone would want that satisfaction, of bringing down someone who betrayed them.
MB: What about Mohammed al-Fayed’s support of Mr. Burrell? He has gone on the record as saying the accident is proof of your fears and that it served to keep the future King of England from having a Muslim step-father.
D: Mr. al-Fayed is still grieving the loss of his son; despite what Dodi may have told him, our relationship was casual and definitely not headed into a serious romance. It was, what’s the term?
MB: Summer fling?
D: Yes, a summer fling. We had about two months of fun and then we were going back to our real lives. The letter was from ’93. I’d just gotten separated and was seeing hobgoblins everywhere. As I said, I’ve had considerable counseling since then and realize that I wrote that in a moment of fear after watching some movie where the leading lady was being persecuted. Mr. Burrell knows all that and he still sold the letter. He’s worse than the paparazzi, in my opinion. I expect them to be greedy, selfish, and out for themselves.
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