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CNN Live At Daybreak

Butler Speaks, Royal Roiling

Aired November 07, 2002 - 06:01   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Princess Diana's butler is blasting the royal family as hypocritical, foul-mouthed and jealous. Paul Burrell made more cutting comments in today's "Daily Mirror." It is the second installment of Burrell's story, which the tabloid paid $400,000 to publish. The former royal butler was acquitted last week of stealing Diana's belongings after her death.
And we want to get reaction to the Burrell tell-all now from London. CNN's Nic Robertson, who covered wars worldwide, tells us about a royal battle today.

Hello -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, yes, a royal battle. And the "Daily Mirror" today really unveiling a real hit at Diana's family, the Spencers.

Now, Burrell here in the paper is saying that Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, had a screaming session on the telephone with Diana, reducing Diana to sobs and tears. Burrell said he was called into Diana's chambers to comfort her when she was just wearing a bathing robe, and she was in tears on the floor.

But his criticism -- Burrell's criticism not just of Diana's mother, but also of her brother, Earl Spencer, and perhaps this is where you get an idea of the royal wars, if you will. He says that his stomach turned when he was in Westminster Abby at Diana's funeral listening to Earl Spencer speaking. But the funeral, he said, it was hypocritical.

He said that what was happening, that the Spencer family here was essentially saying that the Windsor family didn't have a role in bringing up the two boys, William and Harry. And this is one of the reasons Burrell said that he took things, possessions, from Diana's apartment, from Diana's rooms, from her cupboards -- documents, hats, coats -- these types of things.

He said, because the Spencer family was trying to distort history, that it had an agenda against the royal family, against the Windors, and that Burrell was trying to protect the history, the integrity of Diana when he took those possessions.

But he was very scathing as well of Diana's sister, Sarah, calling her "Sarah McCrocodile." Her real name is Sarah McCorquodale.

Perhaps only Diana's sister, Jane, comes in for any kind words from Burrell.

But the impression on the streets here in Britain is that perhaps Burrell has gone too far now, making all of this public, but also some people questioning just the truth behind all of these allegations. Some people feel that it's being very sensationalized at this stage.

COSTELLO: Yes, and he was paid $400,000.

ROBERTSON: Well, $450,000 almost, if the exchange rate stands as they looked yesterday. He's also being paid well over $100,000 for a series of television interviews that will appear this weekend.

But the feeling is among people here that it's divided in some ways. Divided, yes, he should have his say; divided, yes, that perhaps the queen should have stepped in to save his trial sooner. But I think most people tend to agree that really he should have kept quiet, that the degree that it's going to now, perhaps pouring so much scorn on Diana's family, the Spencers, is really going just a bit too far.

COSTELLO: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you for that update from London this morning.

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 November 7, 2002 - 06:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Princess Diana's butler is blasting the royal family as hypocritical, foul-mouthed and jealous. Paul Burrell made more cutting comments in today's "Daily Mirror." It is the second installment of Burrell's story, which the tabloid paid $400,000 to publish. The former royal butler was acquitted last week of stealing Diana's belongings after her death.
And we want to get reaction to the Burrell tell-all now from London. CNN's Nic Robertson, who covered wars worldwide, tells us about a royal battle today.

Hello -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, yes, a royal battle. And the "Daily Mirror" today really unveiling a real hit at Diana's family, the Spencers.

Now, Burrell here in the paper is saying that Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, had a screaming session on the telephone with Diana, reducing Diana to sobs and tears. Burrell said he was called into Diana's chambers to comfort her when she was just wearing a bathing robe, and she was in tears on the floor.

But his criticism -- Burrell's criticism not just of Diana's mother, but also of her brother, Earl Spencer, and perhaps this is where you get an idea of the royal wars, if you will. He says that his stomach turned when he was in Westminster Abby at Diana's funeral listening to Earl Spencer speaking. But the funeral, he said, it was hypocritical.

He said that what was happening, that the Spencer family here was essentially saying that the Windsor family didn't have a role in bringing up the two boys, William and Harry. And this is one of the reasons Burrell said that he took things, possessions, from Diana's apartment, from Diana's rooms, from her cupboards -- documents, hats, coats -- these types of things.

He said, because the Spencer family was trying to distort history, that it had an agenda against the royal family, against the Windors, and that Burrell was trying to protect the history, the integrity of Diana when he took those possessions.

But he was very scathing as well of Diana's sister, Sarah, calling her "Sarah McCrocodile." Her real name is Sarah McCorquodale.

Perhaps only Diana's sister, Jane, comes in for any kind words from Burrell.

But the impression on the streets here in Britain is that perhaps Burrell has gone too far now, making all of this public, but also some people questioning just the truth behind all of these allegations. Some people feel that it's being very sensationalized at this stage.

COSTELLO: Yes, and he was paid $400,000.

ROBERTSON: Well, $450,000 almost, if the exchange rate stands as they looked yesterday. He's also being paid well over $100,000 for a series of television interviews that will appear this weekend.

But the feeling is among people here that it's divided in some ways. Divided, yes, he should have his say; divided, yes, that perhaps the queen should have stepped in to save his trial sooner. But I think most people tend to agree that really he should have kept quiet, that the degree that it's going to now, perhaps pouring so much scorn on Diana's family, the Spencers, is really going just a bit too far.

COSTELLO: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you for that update from London this morning.

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