Published by Penguin worldwide October 2003
There will only ever be one man in history who personally served Her Majesty the Queen AND Diana, Princess of Wales. So Paul Burrell's autobiography is an important royal document de facto.
There is not a royal commentator whose knowledge can match that of the butler who intimately served these two ladies. And that authenticity within his proximity and evident trust was why A Royal Duty went on to become an international best-seller, shifting 1.65m copies worldwide, and transporting us on a memorable five month world book tour.
Those people who haven't read it, or his enemies in the media, or those grey suits in royal residences, will maintain it is a betrayal of the worst kind, especially of the princess.
But those 1.65m people who decided to be intelligent and make up their own minds, will know the truth: there could not be a warmer, more tender, affectionate tribute to both the Queen, and the memory of Diana. That is why it was a privilege to be the ghost-writer on this, my first project in publishing.
That is why so many readers have emerged from Paul's measured account with a vivid belief that they got to meet, know & understand Diana and the Queen like never before. In line with his intention.
It is also, presumably, why the Sunday Times said Burrell's "decency shines through on every page" and why Sarah Sands in the Daily Telegraph suggested his account will "one day be respectable social history".
The puppeteers at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House decided to attack this book as "a cold and overt betrayal" - based on newspaper extracts, not the actual book. Such was the knee-jerk reaction from its reactive advisors.
The House of Windsor seems to prefer on-message biographers like William Shawcross. But Paul - a devout monarchist - is no lesser witness to history. He also provides the required balance, remaining true to Diana's point of view, and not shirking unsavoury episodes that a true history should honour.
Of course, since 2003, much water has gone under the bridge and Paul's pursuit of television opportunities has turned him into royal Marmite - you either love him or hate him. But none of that should diminish his work within A Royal Duty.
It is the unique story of a miner's son who grew up to serve the Royal Family for twenty-one years; eleven years as the Queen's personal footman and a decade as butler serving Princess Diana. Her private letters also prove that she regarded him as a friend and confidante as well as butler.
After she died, and after he'd helped raise £100m for her memorial fund, he was discarded, then later arrested "for stealing from Diana" and hung out to dry in a criminal case that promised his ruination. But an historic intervention by the Queen led to his acquital in a case that had limped through its prosecution.
People forget this back-story as to what motivated Paul to write his book. He'd resisted all publishing offers for five years after Diana's death. Then they arrested him. Loyalty, in all jobs, is ultimately the biggest betrayer of them all.
I 'ghosted' his story in a writing bolt-hole in the Republic of Ireland, imprisoned by rain and the imposed deadline by Penguin. In those months, he truly agonised over what to include, and what not to, during 12-hour writing days. And this is why it amuses me when he is accused of betrayal. Because before you can define what betrayal is, you first have to know the quantity of knowledge the content was taken from. I saw what he omitted: information that would make newspapers (and Michael Mansfield and William Shawcross) blanche. And that is why Paul Burrell - a true gentleman whose character belies his media image - can sleep at night.
