Prince Harry admits to branding Derbyshire-born former royal butler Paul Burrell a “two-face s***” in high court appearance

During his high court appearance as part of a phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers, the Daily Mail reported that Prince Harry confirmed that he would have referred to Paul Burrell as a “two-face s***”. This was reported in a newspaper article 20 years ago – and Prince Harry said that this 'accurately sets out the position'.

Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler, had been on trial in 2002 for allegedly stealing Diana’s possessions, but the case later collapsed after evidence was submitted by Queen Elizabeth II. The Mail reported that Prince William had wanted to meet with Burrell, according to a 2003 article in the People, as it was ‘the only way to stop him selling more Diana secrets.’ This article claimed that Harry, however, was wary that Burrell would use this as an opportunity to make more money.

In his witness statement, Harry said: “'The article accurately sets out the position that my brother was open to fixing a meeting with Paul to discuss his ongoing exposés about our mother. However, I had made up my mind about the kind of person I thought Paul was, and was firmly against meeting him.

“Both my brother and I had very strong feelings about how indiscrete Paul had proven to be with the way he had sold our mother's possessions and how he had given numerous interviews about her.

“We firmly believed that she would have expected some privacy in death, especially from someone she had trusted, and we were so upset at the way he was behaving – I didn’t want to hear his reasons for it.”

Harry’s statement went on, and he said that his labelling of Burrell as a “two-face s***” in the People’s article was something that may have been taken from a voicemail message.

“Our disagreement over how to handle the situation going forward was not something I wanted splashed across the defendant’s newspapers, and I have no idea how the defendant’s journalists obtained the information within the article.

“A ‘senior Royal source’ is quoted within the article, reflecting my exact private feelings, including that I was “dead against any meeting” and that a meeting would be “pandering to Burrell’s attention-seeking and self-interest.

“I also would have used the phrase “two-face s***”, as is reported, and believe this could have been lifted directly from a voicemail I had sent.”

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Burrell appeared on GB News afterwards to discuss the claims made by Prince Harry, and said that he was “finding this deeply upsetting and hurtful. I need to process what has been said. I think it is careless and callous, what Harry has said in court.

“He seems to be living in an alternate world, a world which is deluded. He seems to be able to say whatever he can and whatever he wants to.”

“His legal statement which he drew up in the last few months is evidence sworn under oath, he has categorically said in that statement that I have been selling Diana’s possessions.

“That is not true and that is defamatory. I want him to apologise because it’s not true. He knows fully well I have always protected and loved his mother, and himself and William when they were younger.”