Since his death in April 2021, Prince Philip has been remembered for a plethora of things. For instance, the former Duke of Edinburgh reportedly told grandson Prince Harry that "everything crumbles" in life without work. He also allegedly disliked Sarah Ferguson's "attitude to royal life." And according to a former royal butler, Philip was vocal about his disappointment following the release of a book about Princess Diana.
In the book A Royal Duty, former butler Paul Burrell recalled the Royal Family's reaction to the release of Andrew Morton's famous Princess Diana biography.
"At Windsor, Prince Philip made it clear that everyone was upset by the biased account in the Morton book," Burrell explained. "He told [Princess Diana] that everyone was suspicious of her involvement."
Burrell continued, "The princess, by then in denial, insisted that she had not assisted the author. I honestly believe that she was taken aback by the scale of what she had unleashed."
Princess Diana famously collaborated with Morton for the book, secretly recording herself answering questions for the author. Following her death, Morton released an updated version of the biography and confirmed the former Princess of Wales's involvement. But during her life, both Morton and Diana staunchly denied that she'd contributed to the book, presumably due to the backlash from the Royal Family and the general public.
According to Burrell, Diana had said, "The publication of that book was an unbearable time. Only my friends guided me through." The royal butler also alleged that Diana's behavior had been "rash, impulsive, and confused." But, without a doubt, Morton's biography remains a unique insight into the life of a much-loved royal who died too young.
