Princess Diana’s butler Paul Burrell has won damages and an apology from the publishers of the Daily Mirror for phone hacking and press intrusion which he said harmed his relationship with the late royal.
The 64-year-old former aide to the Princess of Wales was targeted by journalists within Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) between 1995 and 2008, thanks to his close relationship with Diana and his subsequent career as a media personality.
Burrell, who stood trial in 2002 and was acquitted of allegations of stealing some of Diana’s possessions, also blamed media intrusion for “great psychological” and the breakdown of his marriage.
In a statement to the High Court on Tuesday, Burrell announced he had agreed to settle a legal claim against MGN - publishers of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and The People - after being offered an apology and “substantial” undisclosed damages.
“Between 1995 and 2008 the claimant was targeted by the defendant because he was a close friend and trusted confidente to Princess Diana and then subsequently because of his role within the public sphere following his departure from the Royal Household”, said his lawyer, Francis Leonard.
“During Diana’s lifetime, the activities of the defendant caused his relationship with her to deteriorate, as she wrongly thought that her highly personal information was being leaked to the press.
“The defendant targeted his voicemail messages with contained highly sensitive information about his personal, private, and family life, his business affairs including sensitive personal information, and privileged information relating to his arrest, the charges brought against him, and his legal proceedings.
“The defendant also instructed private investigators to undertake enquiries into the claimant and his associates on at least three occasions between 2001 and 2002. The informatin obtained was the product of deception or fraud.”
Burrell said news articles had followed which “severely impacted his reputation”, and he outlined the impact on his criminal trial.
The former butler had been accused of stealing 310 items from the estate of the late Princess as well as from Prince Charles and Prince William.
But the case collapsed and he was found not guilty after it emerged that Burrell had told the Queen in a private conversation after Diana’s death that he was holding on to items for safekeeping.
“The intense negative daily press coverage led to a disintegration of the claimant’s relationship with his wife and children, causing great psychological harm”, said Mr Leonard.
“It also undermined his relationship with his legal team who believed he was leaking confidential information which impacted on his preparation for trial. He was hospitalised for a short period because of the trauma.”
The lawyer said Burrell was “deeply angry and upset” when he learned of the media intrusion into his personal life, and said “deliberate destruction of documents by MGN has prevented him from knowing the full extent of journalists’ activities.
Alexander Vakil, solicitor for MGN, told the court the publisher “offers its sincere apologies” to Burrell for “the damages as well as the distress caused to him by the obtaining of his private information and the accessing of his voicemail messages”.
In the aftermath of his criminal trial at Southwark crown court, Burrell went on to come second in ITV’s reality show I’m A Celebrity….Get Me Out of Here in 2004.
He went on to make appearances on Through The Keyhole, showing off his Cheshire home, and Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes where he performed as Richard Gere.
Burrell’s marriage to Maria Cosgrove, another Royal aide, ended in divorce in 2016, and he went on to marry his partner of ten years, corporate lawyer Graham Cooper.
The High Court heard today there are currently 69 live legal claims against MGN relating to alleged intrusion and phone hacking, with a civil trial due to take place next May.
