27 Facts About Paul Burrell

Paul Burrell was born on 6 June 1958 and is a former servant of the British Royal Household and latterly butler to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Paul Burrell's parents were Graham Burrell and Beryl Burrell, nee Kirk.

Paul Burrell's father was a lorry driver and it was initially assumed he would go to work in the local colliery, but he had decided at the age of eight that he wanted to work at Buckingham Palace.

Paul Burrell attended William Rhodes Secondary School in Chesterfield before entering High Peak College in Buxton, where he studied hotel management.

Paul Burrell entered Royal Service at age 18 as a Buckingham Palace footman, becoming the Queen Elizabeth II's personal footman a year later.

Paul Burrell was nicknamed "Small Paul", to distinguish him from a taller footman, Paul Whybrew, who was known as "Tall Paul".

In 1987, Paul Burrell joined the household of Charles and Diana at Highgrove House, Gloucestershire, acting as butler to the princess until her death in August 1997.

Paul Burrell said that Diana, Princess of Wales, had described him as "the only man she ever trusted".

In January 2008 Paul Burrell appeared as a witness at the inquest into the death of Diana.

Paul Burrell said he had approached a Catholic priest about a private marriage between Diana and the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, and denied rumours that Diana was about to announce her engagement to Dodi Fayed.

Paul Burrell was questioned on a letter to him from Diana in October 1996, in which she said her husband was planning to have her killed to make the path clear for him to marry Camilla Parker Bowles.

The coroner dismissed notions of a "secret" that Paul Burrell knew about Diana that he swore he "would never reveal," as detailed at the end of his book, A Royal Duty.

On 18 February 2008, The Sun newspaper reported that Paul Burrell had admitted, on tape, that he had not told "the whole truth" during his appearance at the Diana inquest; he said he had thrown in a "few red herrings".

Some reports suggested that Paul Burrell could be charged with perjury.

Paul Burrell was criticised for copying Diana's letters and his integrity was called into question.

In 2003, Paul Burrell released a memoir, A Royal Duty, which follows his career as a member of the Royal staff.

Princes William and Harry accused Paul Burrell of betraying their mother's confidences.

Paul Burrell has appeared multiple times on the reality programme I'm a Celebrity.

Paul Burrell appeared as a judge and trainer on Australian Princess in 2005, and in March 2006 appeared on Countdown in Dictionary Corner.

In November 2017, a television documentary, Diana: The Royal Truth, for which Paul Burrell was the primary source, was released in the UK.

Paul Burrell was married to Maria Cosgrove, who formerly worked for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2017, a divorced Paul Burrell announced he was marrying his male partner, Graham Cooper, a corporate lawyer he met ten years ago.

In July 2019, Paul Burrell sold his florist shop as a going concern and retired to live with his husband in their 19th-century mock-Tudor house in Peckforton, Cheshire.

Paul Burrell is a fan of Wrexham Football Club and St Helens Rugby Football Club.

On 30 January 2023, Paul Burrell announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and was receiving treatment.

Paul Burrell was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in November 1997 for services to the Royal Family.

Paul Burrell received the Queen Elizabeth II Version of the Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal for 20 years service to the Royal Family.