Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell has spoken out against Earl Spencer's book, telling Piers Morgan it is "more about Earl Spencer than it is about his sister Diana."
Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Burrell challenged Spencer's assertions that the King was 'giddy with excitement' following Diana's death in 1997, branding the Earl as 'jealous'.
Burrell disputes Spencer's account
The former butler said the "rather spiteful revengeful point of view that he's penned" bears no resemblance to what he witnessed, having spent considerable time with the Princess before her death.
Burrell revealed he was present when the King reached Paris after Diana's passing, and said Spencer's portrayal of him being 'giddy with excitement' could not be further from reality.
'He was a broken man'
He said: "He speaks about the King being giddy with excitement when Diana died. Well Piers, I was in Paris, I saw the king. He was a broken man. He was devastated."
The ex-butler described how, when Charles emerged from the chamber where Diana was laid to rest with her sisters, he had obviously been weeping, "his eyes were bloodshot."
"He was pale and he was scared," said Burrell. He added: "I don't recognise what Earl Spencer says about Prince Charles."
Fractured family bond
Burrell also emphasised the "fractured" bond between Diana and her brother, and her relationship with her entire family. He said: "The last five years of her life are pretty vague in the book because he knows nothing about them."
The staff member disclosed that he could "count on one hand" the number of times Spencer had come to Kensington Palace for lunch, noting Spencer even acknowledged in a letter to Diana that he was "on the periphery" of her life.
Burrell stated: "He was not part of her world. They [Diana's family] were jealous of her success and the love she had from people around the world."
