Customer Reviews

Royal Duty

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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 the Princess made her wishes clear that her wedding dress be placed in a London museum, it has ended up on the Earl's property, in the Earl's private museum, to which he charges admission.

The Spencer family, in concert with Scotland Yard, contrived to charge Burrell with stealing hundreds of the Princess' personal effects, a case that did not hold up in court. Certain truths speak for themselves... and the fact that it was the Queen herself who acknowledged Burrell's right to hold these items in safekeeping was what kept this case from being brought to a jury. She also corroborated some of his evidence, which not only was disputed by the prosecution but also was refuted and leaked to the press, those leaks presumably coming from the prosecution as well.

The book is beautifully written, probably with the assistance of reporter Steve Dennis, thanked in the acknowledgments. And Paul Burrell's wife, Maria, must be a saint to have been only the second lady is his life for all of those years.

Diana was not perfect, but she was a fascinating woman, kind and funny and elegant. Paul Burrell, quite literally, was Diana's loyal servant. By the end of her life, he obviously knew more about the way in which she lived than did her own mother or sisters.

A ROYAL DUTY will prove to be the definitive contemporaneous record of Diana's years as the Princess of Wales.

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.

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 have read virtually every Diana book there is, and I really enjoyed this one. The book did, in fact, provide new information and painted a more human picture of the princess. Burrell's wife, Maria, certainly has a reasonable complaint when she speaks of her husband's obsession with Diana (spending the night in her wardrobe?), but the result of that obsession is a great read. Burrell also confirms what I long suspected, that the Spencers certainly have no right to take the high road with regard to their own treatment of Diana, particularly the hypocritical Charles Spencer. The book also clears up nefarious rumors about the Queen and Prince Phillip's treatment of Diana--seems they aren't the villains they've seemed to be. An important book for any Royal afficionado.

I don't understand why the Royal family was upset with this book. It reveals nothing new and corrects a few misconceptions about them. I doubt that even one family member has picked up the book and read it. It is obvious that the author held back a great deal. It is hardly the tell all book that it has been hyped to be.

I do believe that the author was honest. By revealing everything about himself and his relationship with his employer, he left himself vulnerable. As to his obsession with the Princess, what does the Royal Family expect? They hire people to wait on them hand and foot 24/7 to the detriment of the servant's personal life. The servant does not have any life, but his job. The employer becomes his life. Any first year psych student could figure that out!

I don't blame Mr. Burrell for writing it. The trial cost him nearly every penny he had. He had to find some way to recoup the losses. Also, I didn't realize that the British government has not held an inquest into the Princess's death, yet. If this book forces them to address that, good for him.

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.

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.

When it comes to someone with as high a profile as Princess Di, there is a deluge of books and articles, many disappointing and trite.

This book was a book that would have been well worth reading even if I never heard of Di before. I really like how Paul Burrell put enough about himself and his own attitudes in this book so that I could not only see where he was coming from, but also could try to understand better the British attitudes toward royalty. He takes you through a walk of what it was like for him to be the Queen's butler for a while before he gets into the story about Diana, and though I felt impatient at first with this, I realized as I read on that by doing so he helped me to have a much more full and realistic perspective about Diana's life -- not only her choices, but the environment in which she lived.

It was also endearing how he wrote this book as someone with a great love and great respect for the Princess. He reveals a lot of surprising things, and many of them caused me to feel more empathy for Diana than ever before -- and to feel as if I have been introduced to her on a very personal level. It was as if her best friend sat with me over coffee during a 3-day retreat and recounted all that he could divulge without dishonoring pledges made to her. I was kind of surprised that he told as much as he did, being that he was and is so deferential to the Princess, but I suspect she would have wanted it that way. He makes it clear that there are also some things he will take to the grave. Just the way a best friend would.

As I finished this book I felt a sincere gratitude to Paul Burrell for having written it. I had admired Di from afar; now I feel I know her ever so much better, and admire her more than ever as well.

He also softened up my attitude toward the Queen. Not accustomed to royal formalities, she always seemed so formal and cold to me. He really humanized the Queen for me.

It was not like reading a tattler. However I must say that Burrell is a big-time apologist and supporter of the Queen of England. I almost get the feeling he HAS to talk about her positively (or off with his head?). Or maybe she really is as great as he says. What do I know?

When Diana's sons made a statement against Paul Burrell, you can hardly blame them - they are living with their father who is dating Camila. To say they were influenced in this decision is an understatement.
There is no question Diana would be pleased with this book. How many times have I heard the media say, "It's surprising how the Princess has receded into the background...who'd have thought Camila would find such positive press?"
You can bet this book set that design plan back a few years. Camila's publicist must be looking for another job!
Of course, there probably is a bit of revenge on Mr. Burrell's part, but can you blame him? He was Diana's most trusted companion and when he was on trial, the Royal family deserted him. I think there is a big difference between this book and that twit who dated Di for 5 years and wrote a tell-all book and wanted to sell her letters. Diana doesn't come out of this the loser. I believe every word Burrell writes. I mean, come on, she did have a lot of suiters, but he says she had only one man in mind for marriage after Charles. And after they parted ways, I'm not surprised she ran off with the rich Mr. Fayed to forget her troubles. Who wouldn't?
Donald D'Haene,

I just finished reading this book, and I don't understand why critics and the royal family have said that the book is negative. It's emotional, interesting, and highly respectful, not only of Diana but of all the royal family, including the Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince Philip. It is obvious that Mr. Burrell loved his job and loves the royal family and the monarchy, in general. I came away from the book with a more positive feeling about the rest of the royals. Mr. Burrell makes it clear that Diana and Charles did love each other in the beginning and that Diana had a close relationship with her in-laws all along. I respect the fact that Mr. Burrell stopped short of sharing many details. (For instance, he explains that he went to Paris to take care of the princess after her death, but he does not recount details of what he saw when he entered the room in which her body lay.) Mr. Burrell has written an emotional and interesting account, and he has done so with obvious integrity and love. This is NOT a tell-all book. Far from it.