The Silence Has Finally Been Broken (A Royal Duty - Paul Burrell)

Name: Matt_Roberts

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Product:	A Royal Duty - Paul Burrell
Date:	10.10.04 (762 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Finally tells you the whole truth. Closest thing to Diana's story

Disadvantages: It's best read in bits and drabs.

Ever since she stepped out of her flat, stepping into her blue metro after she and Charles had announced that they were engaged to be married, Diana lived a life in the spotlight. She was never free after that morning in the early 80's. Sure, she'd been in the papers before that but after this announcement she was major news. She was the new member of the Royal Family. This woman would give birth to the future King or Queen, she would attend royal do's, she would mix with the Queen, with the highest of circles, and she was only 19.

After her death in Paris in 1997, Diana has remained a media favourite. She was haunted by them when she was alive, and now she's dead she's still being haunted. It seems there's something different in the paper every month, whether it's something to do with her "accident", or Paul Burrel (her ex-butler) there's always something new about Diana to write about. It's less than when she was alive, when she was on the front pages almosty every single day of the week but she's still being written about. There was one time when she wasn't out of the papers. The British public - at one stage - got rather fed up of hearing about her. About her visists to the gym, her new lover, her charities. She always seemed to be there, and then all of a sudden she wasn't. She was gone.

In late 2003 Paul Burrell - Diana's butler until she died - released his autobiogaphry titled "A Royal Duty". Being a big fan of Diana and the speculation of her death I was first in the queue to buy it. I'd never warmed to Paul Burrell and I'd never really liked him. All I remembered was that in every single speech he gave he always seemed to refer to the fact that Diana called him her "rock". I felt that he was raking in as much as he could and using Diana as a money-maker. I didn't doubt for one minute that they were extremely close friends and shared a lot together but I, for some reason, never really liked him.

I was surprised to see that his autobiography was as it's supposed to be - about him. When I heard it was titled "A Royal Duty" I imagined it would be all about Diana. He talks of his childhood, and how he began life as a footman in Buckingham Palace and actually does focus on his own life as much as Diana's. He first served the Queen in 1975, up until the mid eighties when he moved to serve Diana and Charles in Kensinghton Palace. It's very clear from reading the book that he holds a great respect for the Queen. She does appear to be a very down to earth person, but being an anti-royalist myself I can't say I hold as much respect for her. His time with the Queen is described as a "great time", and he certainly sounds like he was happy there. That's where he met his wife (as she also worked there) and he owes a lot to the Queen for bringing them together. It's clear he really admires the Queen and even today - after all that's happened - doesn't hold a thing against her.

He doesn't hold as much respect for Prince Charles, on the other hand. He never says a bad word about him in the book, but it's clear that he doesn't like him as a person. One time he remembers is when Prince Charles throws a book across the room to Paul screaming: "You will do what I tell you! Am I to be King! I will be King!" after Burrel tells Diana of one of his meetings with Camilla. Burrell instead of being loyal to Charles was to Diana instead, and Charles hated that. I've never liked Charles, and after reading about him I dislike him even more. Fair play, Paul Burrel doesn't say a bad word about him, even though his feelings towards him are apparent by his tone and abruptness when he speaks of him.

It took a good while for Diana to begin to trust Paul but they did become very good friends a long while before her death. She told him some of her most initmate secrets which Paul doesn't give away in the book. I do respect him for that, and some say he's going against Diana by releasing this book. I don't feel he is at all. He's basically setting the record straight because she can't do it herself. Many have said this is the closest we'll get to Diana's autobiography, which is true. We do see the world through her eyes, and most of the book (although not all) is about Diana. His true friend.

Burrell does let a few cats out of the bag, but he doesn't do anything that Diana would be ashamed of. There have been so many stories in the media about how Diana detested Charles, the Queen. How she never made an effort with her marriage and she was mentally unstable. You really don't know what to believe there are that many stories about. "A Royal Duty" sets the record straight. It tells us the truth. No more messing about - if you want to read the truth, you read this because there are no cover ups. What he says is honest and truthful.

Ever since her death Burrell has been through a lot of hard times. He's had a court case to deal with, amongst other things and I think this autobipgraphy isn't something to be spiteful towards the Royal family, but to actually set the record straight and show that he can't be shut up. After Diana's death everyone (particularly the Royal family) thought they were safe. They thought nothing else could get in their way. They were wrong. Burrell is basically Diana in a different form - he, just like she, knows all the secrets and he isn't afraid to say anything. He wouldn't say anything to hurt anyone, but he knows some things so shocking that the Royal family would do anything to shut him up - just like they tried to do with Diana.

One thing that dissapointed me after the release of "A Royal Duty" was the way that the two Princes said they were "dissapointed" with Burrell and he had "let them down". I think it's completely unfair becase this book is what Diana would have wanted. If she'd have been alive it would have been on the shelves a long time before this - there's no doubt about it. All Burrell is doing is setting the record straight. He's telling us the truth, he's basically doing what Diana would have wanted to do herself.

"A Royal Duty" can become tiresome at times and you feel you just need to put the book down for a few days. It's not the best book ever written but which autobiographies are? It doesn't need to be well written really because the important thing is not the writing but what the writing holds - the stories that Paul has to tell.

I believe that everyone should read it. Why? Not because it's good, or it has some interesting bits but because there have been so many different stories going around about Diana that the record must be set straight. Everyone should read it to find out the truth - to realise what really happened. People tried to silence her, but thankfully they haven't succeeded.

Burrell still isn't one of my favourite people but just like us all he's made mistakes. I respect him a lot more now he's done this as he's finally given something back to Diana. Sure, he's had millions out of it but deep down I really don't believe that was his reasons for doing it. I really do believe he did it for Diana because she couldn't do it herself. Because she wasn't allowed to do it herself.

Read it and find out the real truth.



© Matt Roberts 2004

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