Why Princess Diana’s Closest Confidant Says She Was ‘Very Naïve’ When She Agreed to Marry Charles
We all know the story. Then-Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981, in a fairytale-like wedding but their marriage did not have a fairytale-like ending. And now someone who used to work closely with Charles, Princess Diana, and the late Queen Elizabeth II is revealing why Diana was “very naïve” when she agreed to marry the man who is now Britain’s monarch.
Who said Princess Diana was ‘very naïve’ to marry Charles and why
The person who called the princess “very naïve” for her decision to wed Charles is former royal family employee Paul Burrell.
He began working in the royal household when he was 18 years old and became Queen Elizabeth II‘s personal footman. He later started working for then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana. After they separated, Burrell stayed on the staff as the princess’s butler and served in that position until her tragic death in 1997. During that time, Burrell ended up becoming one of Diana’s closest and most-trusted confidants.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo Burrell said: “Did you see [Diana’s] face when the [then-Prince of Wales] was asked ‘Are you in love sir?’ and he said ‘Whatever love is.’ She turned to him and looked at him with a nervous giggle thinking, ‘Don’t you know?’ because she had fallen in love with her prince of course. Any young girl would.
“When she met him she was only 18 years old and he was the first man who ever showed her any true affection and she fell in love with him. She was bowled over by her prince who was going to carry her away to a beautiful future and a fairy tale castle somewhere. She was very naive.”
Burrell continued: “[Diana] put all her eggs in one basket and [Charles] played that game. He played it even though there was somebody in the wings and even though [Camilla] was always there and Diana knew that. She loved him and she thought she could change him. She thought her beauty, freshness, and her naivety would be attractive to Charles but it wasn’t because he was looking for someone more mature.”
Does the ex-butler think there was ever any love between his former bosses
Having spent years in the couple’s household after they were married, Burrell gave his opinion on whether he thought Charles ever did love his first wife.
“I saw that closeness with them and even though he may not have been in love with her, I think he certainly loved her,” Burrell shared. “Those children [Princes William and Harry] were born out of love. And in the years that I witnessed — their early years — I saw them with the queen, at Balmoral and Sandringham whenever they came to stay and I noticed they were very close and [Diana] adored him.”
