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Paul Burrell is a name many royal family fans are familiar with. He was Princess Diana’s butler from 1987 till her death in 1997. Over the years he has spoken about his time as a member of the royal household and revealed quite a bit about what went on behind palace walls when he worked for the princess.

Following the release of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, in which he’s mentioned, Burrell has offered his opinion on what the Duke of Sussex wrote about him. And during one appearance, Diana’s former butler announced that he has cancer and doesn’t know if he’ll live to see another year.

Princess Diana in London with her butler Paul Burrell (circa 1994)
Princess Diana in London with her butler Paul Burrell (circa 1994) | Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images

Princess Diana’s butler said he was very hurt by something in Prince Harry’s book

Burrell read Harry’s book and made it clear that he isn’t a fan of how the prince referred to him.

Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Burrell admitted: “I was really upset, really upset the fact that [Harry] referred to me as ‘the butler,’ ‘mummy’s butler’ well mummy’s butler was called Paul, Harry and you knew me, all your life you’ve known me as Paul. He had never known me as ‘the butler’ so why suddenly has there been a shift only recently, a shift to being called the butler?”

Burrell also discussed how Prince Harry reacted after Princess Diana’s death and his version is different from what the Duke of Sussex has said.

According to Burrell: “[Harry] came back to Kensington Palace and he cried buckets, in the book he says he didn’t cry. He cried buckets and I was there and he held me tight, didn’t hold his father tight but he held me tight because he knew that I was someone special in his mother’s world.”

How Burrell discovered he had cancer

During a recent appearance on the British TV show Lorraine, Burrell opened up about the life-changing news he received as he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The Mirror reported that “a blood test found high levels of PSA and his GP suggested he undergo an MRI scan, which showed a shadow on his prostate.”

The princess’s former employee said he’s been on “an emotional educational rollercoaster — ups and downs — and not knowing where I’m going to be the next minute. Having the biopsy itself and finding the cancer.”

He shared: “I’m on hormone therapy at the moment and it’s robbing me of my testosterone. So my beard isn’t growing as it should and I’m tired and I’m emotional and I get hot flushes.”

Fears he may not live to see another Christmas

Paul Burrell, the former butler of Princess Diana, poses for the press outside the High Court in London
Paul Burrell, the former butler of Princess Diana, poses for the press outside the High Court in London | Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
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Burrell was diagnosed a few months before Christmas in 2022 and revealed that he became very sad during the holiday as he thought about his family and knew he had to tell his children because he doesn’t know if he’ll be around another year.

“Wrapping Christmas presents up this year and thinking, ‘Am I going to do this next year? Am I going to be here? I need to tell my boys,” he explained. “I went to America over Christmas and told them. They sat with me and held me and said, ‘Dad, we need to spend more time with you.’ And that’s what it’s about.”

Burrell added that he would like to raise awareness about prostate cancer and early detection, and hopes other men over 50 will get tested saying: “You realize that there are thousands of men out there like me who have no symptoms and don’t know they have it. Every man over 50 should think of having a PSA test.”

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