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| Queen had 'concerns' over Diana | Queen had 'concerns' over Diana |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The Queen was "concerned" about the future because of Princess Diana's relationship with Dodi Al Fayed, an inquest has heard. | The Queen was "concerned" about the future because of Princess Diana's relationship with Dodi Al Fayed, an inquest has heard. |
| Ex-royal butler Paul Burrell said he met the Queen weeks after Diana died. | Ex-royal butler Paul Burrell said he met the Queen weeks after Diana died. |
| He said Her Majesty had been concerned the princess was "over-excited" about her relationship with Dodi when it first began. | He said Her Majesty had been concerned the princess was "over-excited" about her relationship with Dodi when it first began. |
| Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Condon said talk of a cover-up about the death was "absolutely wrong". | |
| Mr Burrell was giving evidence for a third day at the High Court inquest into the death of Princess Diana. | |
| The princess and Dodi Al Fayed died after a car crash in a Paris road tunnel in 1997. | The princess and Dodi Al Fayed died after a car crash in a Paris road tunnel in 1997. |
| I felt she was telling me, she was inferring, that this relationship [with Dodi] had reached its peak and it was going down the other side Paul Burrell Tough day for Diana's 'rock' | I felt she was telling me, she was inferring, that this relationship [with Dodi] had reached its peak and it was going down the other side Paul Burrell Tough day for Diana's 'rock' |
| During an exchange with Ian Croxford QC, representing the Ritz Hotel, Mr Burrell said: "Her Majesty was concerned that the Princess was rather over-excited at the moment." | During an exchange with Ian Croxford QC, representing the Ritz Hotel, Mr Burrell said: "Her Majesty was concerned that the Princess was rather over-excited at the moment." |
| Mr Croxford asked if the Queen was "concerned about the start of a long-term union with Dodi Al Fayed". | Mr Croxford asked if the Queen was "concerned about the start of a long-term union with Dodi Al Fayed". |
| Mr Burrell replied: "Her Majesty was concerned about the future." | Mr Burrell replied: "Her Majesty was concerned about the future." |
| Mr Croxford then asked: "And a marriage?" | Mr Croxford then asked: "And a marriage?" |
| Mr Burrell said: "No, the Queen did not mention that." | Mr Burrell said: "No, the Queen did not mention that." |
| Mr Burrell also told the court that he kept quiet about Mr Al Fayed giving Diana a ring shortly before they died in Paris. | Mr Burrell also told the court that he kept quiet about Mr Al Fayed giving Diana a ring shortly before they died in Paris. |
| In 2003 the former butler wrote in his book that all he knew of the gift was from a conversation during 1997. | In 2003 the former butler wrote in his book that all he knew of the gift was from a conversation during 1997. |
| He said he had advised Diana to wear any ring on her right hand to avoid giving the impression she was engaged. | He said he had advised Diana to wear any ring on her right hand to avoid giving the impression she was engaged. |
| But he revealed at her inquest that he had picked up a ring with Diana's possessions shortly after her death. | But he revealed at her inquest that he had picked up a ring with Diana's possessions shortly after her death. |
| Paul Burrell worked closely with Princess Diana | Paul Burrell worked closely with Princess Diana |
| Michael Mansfield QC, representing Dodi's father Mohamed Al Fayed, accused Mr Burrell of "lying" in his book A Royal Duty about the ring. | Michael Mansfield QC, representing Dodi's father Mohamed Al Fayed, accused Mr Burrell of "lying" in his book A Royal Duty about the ring. |
| Mr Burrell replied that this was a "strong" term. | Mr Burrell replied that this was a "strong" term. |
| "The reason I didn't include it in A Royal Duty was that I didn't feel I had to at the time," he told the court in London. | "The reason I didn't include it in A Royal Duty was that I didn't feel I had to at the time," he told the court in London. |
| But Mr Burrell provided more detail about the ring in a subsequent book, The Way We Were, written a few years later. | But Mr Burrell provided more detail about the ring in a subsequent book, The Way We Were, written a few years later. |
| Mr Burrell again insisted that Diana was still in love with surgeon Hasnat Khan in the run-up to her death on 31 August 1997. | Mr Burrell again insisted that Diana was still in love with surgeon Hasnat Khan in the run-up to her death on 31 August 1997. |
| "I knew that she would not get engaged," he said. | "I knew that she would not get engaged," he said. |
| Mr Mansfield replied: "You may like to think you knew that but actually you really don't know, do you?" | Mr Mansfield replied: "You may like to think you knew that but actually you really don't know, do you?" |
| Mr Burrell said: "I don't know." | Mr Burrell said: "I don't know." |
| He also said he spoke to Diana while she was on holiday with Dodi on his father's yacht, the Jonikal, when she seemed to be feeling "claustrophobic" and "trapped", with Dodi controlling her "every movement". | He also said he spoke to Diana while she was on holiday with Dodi on his father's yacht, the Jonikal, when she seemed to be feeling "claustrophobic" and "trapped", with Dodi controlling her "every movement". |
| Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed stayed at the Ritz Hotel in Paris | |
| He said: "In one of the last conversations, she said she was feeling claustrophobic... it was scorching hot on deck and freezing cold in the air conditioning [below] and she was looking forward to coming home. | He said: "In one of the last conversations, she said she was feeling claustrophobic... it was scorching hot on deck and freezing cold in the air conditioning [below] and she was looking forward to coming home. |
| "I felt she was telling me, she was inferring, that this relationship had reached its peak and it was going down the other side. | "I felt she was telling me, she was inferring, that this relationship had reached its peak and it was going down the other side. |
| "Very often relationships did that in the princess's world. It was a very fast-moving relationship, it had a very short fuse, whereas the relationship before was a very long relationship." | "Very often relationships did that in the princess's world. It was a very fast-moving relationship, it had a very short fuse, whereas the relationship before was a very long relationship." |
| During the course of his testimony, Mr Burrell said he did not do the "decent" thing by the Duke of Edinburgh in publishing excerpts from his private correspondence with Diana without permission or consent. | During the course of his testimony, Mr Burrell said he did not do the "decent" thing by the Duke of Edinburgh in publishing excerpts from his private correspondence with Diana without permission or consent. |
| 'No cover-up' | |
| Lord Justice Scott Baker suggested that it "would have been a more decent thing to do" to ask for consent beforehand, to which Mr Burrell replied: "On reflection, perhaps yes." | Lord Justice Scott Baker suggested that it "would have been a more decent thing to do" to ask for consent beforehand, to which Mr Burrell replied: "On reflection, perhaps yes." |
| Lord Condon told the inquest that there was no cover-up involved in Diana's death. | |
| Nicholas Hilliard, acting for the coroner, asked: "Is there any truth whatsoever in the suggestion that you as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police took part in a cover-up of a murder?" | |
| Lord Condon replied: "That is absolutely wrong. It would be an absolute betrayal of everything I stood for." | |
| "I understand why it is being put forward by the legal representation for Mr Al Fayed, and I respect their right to do so, but it would be absolutely contrary to everything I have stood for in my life." | |
| Lord Condon also said his force walked a "tightrope" between Diana and the Prince of Wales following the couple's split. | |
| But the "tense and difficult" relationship deteriorated so much that the princess suggested to a senior Met officer that she believed police were bugging her calls and had put a tracking device in her car. | |