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Queen had 'concerns' over Diana Queen had 'concerns' over Diana
(about 2 hours 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-butler Paul Burrell said he had met the Queen weeks after the princess died, and she had said Diana had been "over-excited" about her relationship.
He said Her Majesty had been concerned the princess was "over-excited" about her relationship with Dodi when it first began. Meanwhile, Ex-Met Police chief Lord Condon denied claims of a cover-up.
Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Condon said talk of a cover-up about the death was "absolutely wrong". And a planned debate on the case for BBC's Newsnight was referred to the Attorney General by the coroner.
Mr Burrell was giving evidence for a third day at the High Court inquest into the death of Princess Diana. The BBC said the debate - on whether the inquest is a necessary exercise in transparency, or a waste of public money - would go ahead and would stay "within legal boundaries".
The princess and Dodi Al Fayed died after a car crash in a Paris road tunnel in 1997. 'Oily bedhopper'
Mr Burrell was giving evidence for a third day at the High Court inquest into the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, who died with their driver Henri Paul in a car crash in Paris 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 had been "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. He added that he had not taken any notes of that meeting and could not say the exact words the Queen had used.
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.
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 DianaPaul 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. In other evidence from Mr Burrell, Diana's former butler also told the court that he had kept quiet about Mr Al Fayed giving Diana a ring shortly before they died.
Mr Burrell replied that this was a "strong" term. In 2003 the former butler wrote in a book that all he knew of the gift was from a conversation during 1997.
"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 he revealed at her inquest that he had picked up a ring with Diana's possessions shortly after her death.
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.
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. He also said he felt Diana and Dodi's relationship had "peaked" days before the crash.
"I knew that she would not get engaged," he said. He said he had spoken to Diana while she was on holiday with Dodi on his father's yacht, the Jonikal, and she seemed to be feeling "claustrophobic" and "trapped", with Dodi controlling her "every movement".
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."
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 ParisPrincess 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 also admitted he had not done the "decent" thing by the Duke of Edinburgh in publishing in his book excerpts from his private correspondence with Diana, without permission or consent.
"I felt she was telling me, she was inferring, that this relationship had reached its peak and it was going down the other side. But he denied a suggestion from Michael Mansfield QC, representing Dodi's father Mohamed Al Fayed, that the duke had called Dodi an "oily bedhopper".
"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." He said Diana had believed that Prince Charles might one day face an assassination attempt.
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. He added that Diana had many fears in the later years of her life and took advice from "many strange quarters" such as psychics.
But he said she felt safe because the public "loved" her.
'No cover-up''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." Later, Lord Condon - Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the time of Diana's death - told the inquest that there had been no cover-up over Diana's death.
Lord Condon told the inquest that there was no cover-up involved in Diana's death. "It would be an absolute betrayal of everything I stood for," he said.
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 also said the Metropolitan Police's relationship with Diana had been "tense and difficult" during her marriage break-up as officers tried to remain impartial.
Lord Condon replied: "That is absolutely wrong. It would be an absolute betrayal of everything I stood for." His force had walked a "tightrope" between Diana and the Prince of Wales, but the relationship had deteriorated so much that the princess had suggested to a senior Met officer that she believed police were bugging her calls and had put a tracking device in her car.
"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 said: "I'm on oath, I'm telling you categorically we had not done so."
Lord Condon also said his force walked a "tightrope" between Diana and the Prince of Wales following the couple's split. And he said a letter written by Diana's divorce lawyer, Lord Mishcon, revealing fears she had expressed in a meeting with him in October 1995, and delivered to Lord Condon in 1997, had not been made public in efforts to spare pain that could be caused to her sons.
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. The Newsnight debate will be broadcast on BBC2 at 2230 GMT on Wednesday 16 December.