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CNN Live Today

Princess Diana's Butler on Trial

Aired October 14, 2002 - 11:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A high profile trial in London began today. The butler that Princess Diana once referred to as her "rock" may end up in prison breaking some. He stands accused now of stealing items from her home worth millions.
Our Robyn Curnow is covering the trial of Paul Burrell, and joins us now from London with more -- hello.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. It's significant that Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's butler, is here at the Old Bailey in London and is accused of stealing her personal possessions. It's significant because it's important to know just who Paul Burrell was. He wasn't just a butler who served her tea on a silver platter. This was the man who prepared her body before her burial. This was the man who maintained an all-night prayer vigil before her funeral next to her body, and this was the man who was the only non-family member when Diana was finally laid to rest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW (voice-over): Paul Burrell, seen here with Princess Diana in Africa, was not just her butler. He was also one of her most trusted confidants. She called him "my rock." And if he knew any royal secrets, he didn't tell.

PAUL BURRELL, PRINCESS DIANA'S FORMER BUTLER: We just got on with our jobs, and did what we could. It was very personal, very private. And I think that's how it should remain.

CURNOW: But the man who's thought to be unquestionably loyal has been charged with three counts of theft relating to more than $7.5 million of property from Diana's former residence, Kensington Palace.

(on camera): The trial of the former butler of Diana, Princess of Wales, begins in London today. It's going to take place here at the central criminal court, or the Old Bailey as it's better known.

The trial is expected to last about four weeks.

(voice-over): While deciding whether the butler did it, the court will hear evidence relating to the alleged theft of more than 300 items said to belong to the late princess, her eldest son Prince William, and her former husband, heir to the throne, Prince Charles.

The items include jewelry, CDs, hats, bags, crockery, personal photos, cards and letters, including some from Diana to Prince William and signed "mummy." Burrell is said to be devastated by the allegations, and in a written statement, says the charges are false and that the police are simply pursuing what he calls a "trophy trial."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: I think the significant thing about today's trial was that the prosecution kept on touching on the point that many of the things found in Paul Burrell's house were of an intensely personal nature. Things like letters, private correspondence between Princess Diana and people like Mother Teresa and former Prime Minister John Major, private correspondence between herself and her brother talking about family matters, private correspondence between her and members of the royal family.

Not just the letters, though. Also family photo albums, holiday snaps from the times when Diana was skiing on school trips. But also, family photographs from her own children's life, birthday parties, birthdays at school, sports days. These were all in Mr. Burrell's house, locked away in the attic, even hung on the stairs and the walls, in his study even.

HARRIS: Well, Robyn, what strikes me is that there's a possibility, I believe, that these private things, these very private things, could be made public through this trial. Will there be, I guess, a private display or will there be open discussions about what these things are, and maybe readings of these letters publicly?

CURNOW: No. This was the interesting thing. The prosecution today, they list -- you can see, this is the list of all -- literally all the hundreds of things that are being -- that were found in Paul Burrell's house.

But the letters that were found, there was not specifically details on what Diana had written, except for the prosecution kept on saying, as you can see, this is very personal what's been written.

Also with some of the pictures, he referred to some, obviously, baby pictures of Diana's second son, Prince Harry.

Obviously, quite intimate mother and child moments, he referred to them, he described them -- the jury members were looking at these pictures and the letters, but it wasn't put out in the public domain, and I think that's the important thing, that everybody, and particularly the prosecution, was trying to stress, was that if Paul Burrell, as he argues, was given these things by Princess Diana for safekeeping, why would he have such personal things of the princess? What exactly, the prosecution asked, was the butler doing with all of this stuff?

HARRIS: Questions that -- we'll have to wait to see what the answers are to these questions later on to come. Robyn Curnow, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Check back with you later on.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Aired October 14, 2002 - 11:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A high profile trial in London began today. The butler that Princess Diana once referred to as her "rock" may end up in prison breaking some. He stands accused now of stealing items from her home worth millions.
Our Robyn Curnow is covering the trial of Paul Burrell, and joins us now from London with more -- hello.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. It's significant that Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's butler, is here at the Old Bailey in London and is accused of stealing her personal possessions. It's significant because it's important to know just who Paul Burrell was. He wasn't just a butler who served her tea on a silver platter. This was the man who prepared her body before her burial. This was the man who maintained an all-night prayer vigil before her funeral next to her body, and this was the man who was the only non-family member when Diana was finally laid to rest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW (voice-over): Paul Burrell, seen here with Princess Diana in Africa, was not just her butler. He was also one of her most trusted confidants. She called him "my rock." And if he knew any royal secrets, he didn't tell.

PAUL BURRELL, PRINCESS DIANA'S FORMER BUTLER: We just got on with our jobs, and did what we could. It was very personal, very private. And I think that's how it should remain.

CURNOW: But the man who's thought to be unquestionably loyal has been charged with three counts of theft relating to more than $7.5 million of property from Diana's former residence, Kensington Palace.

(on camera): The trial of the former butler of Diana, Princess of Wales, begins in London today. It's going to take place here at the central criminal court, or the Old Bailey as it's better known.

The trial is expected to last about four weeks.

(voice-over): While deciding whether the butler did it, the court will hear evidence relating to the alleged theft of more than 300 items said to belong to the late princess, her eldest son Prince William, and her former husband, heir to the throne, Prince Charles.

The items include jewelry, CDs, hats, bags, crockery, personal photos, cards and letters, including some from Diana to Prince William and signed "mummy." Burrell is said to be devastated by the allegations, and in a written statement, says the charges are false and that the police are simply pursuing what he calls a "trophy trial."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: I think the significant thing about today's trial was that the prosecution kept on touching on the point that many of the things found in Paul Burrell's house were of an intensely personal nature. Things like letters, private correspondence between Princess Diana and people like Mother Teresa and former Prime Minister John Major, private correspondence between herself and her brother talking about family matters, private correspondence between her and members of the royal family.

Not just the letters, though. Also family photo albums, holiday snaps from the times when Diana was skiing on school trips. But also, family photographs from her own children's life, birthday parties, birthdays at school, sports days. These were all in Mr. Burrell's house, locked away in the attic, even hung on the stairs and the walls, in his study even.

HARRIS: Well, Robyn, what strikes me is that there's a possibility, I believe, that these private things, these very private things, could be made public through this trial. Will there be, I guess, a private display or will there be open discussions about what these things are, and maybe readings of these letters publicly?

CURNOW: No. This was the interesting thing. The prosecution today, they list -- you can see, this is the list of all -- literally all the hundreds of things that are being -- that were found in Paul Burrell's house.

But the letters that were found, there was not specifically details on what Diana had written, except for the prosecution kept on saying, as you can see, this is very personal what's been written.

Also with some of the pictures, he referred to some, obviously, baby pictures of Diana's second son, Prince Harry.

Obviously, quite intimate mother and child moments, he referred to them, he described them -- the jury members were looking at these pictures and the letters, but it wasn't put out in the public domain, and I think that's the important thing, that everybody, and particularly the prosecution, was trying to stress, was that if Paul Burrell, as he argues, was given these things by Princess Diana for safekeeping, why would he have such personal things of the princess? What exactly, the prosecution asked, was the butler doing with all of this stuff?

HARRIS: Questions that -- we'll have to wait to see what the answers are to these questions later on to come. Robyn Curnow, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Check back with you later on.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com