Working with the British Royal Family is likely a coveted job for many. However, the role often comes with some very specific drawbacks. And according to one of Princess Diana‘s former employees, being a royal butler could be pretty stressful sometimes.
In his book The Royal Insider: My Life With The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana, ex-royal butler Paul Burrell opened up about some of the former Princess of Wales’s fears.
“Diana was convinced that someone was eavesdropping,” Burrell wrote.
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He continued, “We took down every wall mirror in the palace, having been told that a beam from a satellite could be bounced from a mirror to listen to conversations in the room.”
Burrell wrote, “At times, it felt like I was living in a James Bond movie.”
In an attempt to put Princess Diana’s mind to rest, Burrell claimed that he “rolled up carpets and pulled up floorboards.”
Per the former butler, “I even removed a panel in the bathtub to look in the void behind, but we found nothing.”
Sphere
The Royal Insider: My Life With The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana
Paul Burrell (far left) riding in a carriage with Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Despite never finding any evidence of eavesdropping, Burrell revealed that he often wondered if someone might have been listening in.
“We have no proof that anyone hacked Princess Diana’s phone but they may well have done,” he explained.
The ex-butler shared, “She was, at the time, arguably the most famous woman in the world and a person of significant interest to national and international newspapers. We can only speculate as we will never know the truth. She could also have been listened to by secret services.”
“She was, at the time, arguably the most famous woman in the world.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Considering the press intrusion Princess Diana experienced throughout her life, it’s hardly surprising she feared being wiretapped.
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