‘Harry will make sure Meghan doesn’t struggle like Diana did’
Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell, who she reportedly called her “rock”, tells Closer what Meghan can expect
Few people know royal life as well as Paul Burrell – the man who worked as Princess Diana’s butler for ten years and knew her beloved sons William and Harry as they were growing up.
And as Closer spoke to him ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, Paul, 59, anticipates that Meghan will secretly be feeling quite overwhelmed and apprehensive about her new chapter of life as a royal.
He says, “I remember first meeting Diana at Balmoral when she was just 18 years old, before her wedding to Prince Charles. She said to me, ‘I’m out of my depth here. I’ll need help.’ I suspect Meghan will be feeling the same. It will be a very different life for her, but it’ll be incredibly exciting.”
And Paul believes that Harry – who has previously issued a statement slamming the negative scrutiny Meghan had been subject to – will do all he cancan toto ensure his new wife doesn’t suffer like his mother did.
OVERWHELMING
Diana was said to have found the press attention as a member of the royal family overwhelming and struggled to deal with the breakdown of her marriage, depression and bulimia behind her perfect public facade.
Paul says, “William and Harry are very aware of the lessons learned from their mother’s years during her royal life. They are aware of the public scrutiny. You can see William has worked hard to protect and guide Kate – and Harry will do the same with Meghan. He will guide her – in an open and honest relationship – and do all he can to protect her from the struggles that Diana faced.”
Having previously been an actress in US drama Suits, Meghan is used to a degree of media attention and a glitzy lifestyle – but Paul says the royal world will bring a whole new level of privilege.
Paul adds, “Meghan will now be able to have anything she wants. She will have a butler, a dresser, a housekeeper, a private chef, a valet, a driver and two policemen working for her.
SHOW PONY
“She is likely to be a bit of a show pony for the first six months and travel around the world with Harry, doing overseas tours and showing off their new marriage. She’ll also have diary meetings with the Queen every six months, where she plans the next six months of her life, including travel, events, appearances and meetings.”
But while Paul says that Meghan’s new life will be one of luxury, he warns the former actress, who has campaigned for women’s rights and spoken out against US president Donald Trump, that there will be limitations and that her new role comes with a lot of pressure, too. Paul says, “Meghan seems like a free spirit – so what will be difficult for her is being told what to do, often by people she doesn’t even know. It can be a rigid life – this isn’t a movie role for her, this isn’t a bit of fun. This is 1,000 years of history. She will need to take a deep breath and think before she acts sometimes. She can’t just do anything she wants. “But saying that, she brings a breath of fresh air to the royals. She’s a tremendous force for good and I’m sure she’ll take everything in her stride. Diana would have loved her – it’s almost like she’s picking up where Diana left off.”
‘She will need to think before she acts’