Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell has hit out at Prince Harr y, saying he feels he was 'discarded' by the royal in his explosive autobiography.
Cancer stricken Burrell, who Princess Diana described as her "rock" is bravely battling prostate cancer, and has spoken out about his desire to talk to Prince William and Harry about their mother's life.
The 64-year-old admits "some of it isn’t pretty”, but added: "I think Diana would say to me, Paul, you must make this a priority. You must go and see my boys.”
In a searingly honest exclusive interview with The Mirror as he prepares for his first operation later this month, Paul said his illness has left him contemplating several private moments with the late Princess of Wales where she confided in him during her darkest days.
In his controversial memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex claimed the former butler was 'milking' her death for money when he published his 2001 book A Royal Duty.
Prince Harry wrote that he first learned of the book while he was working as a farmhand in Australia aged 19 in 2003 after leaving Eton.
He claimed that he received a package from Buckingham Palace, including a memo from the royal comms team concerning 'a delicate matter'.
"Mummy's former butler had penned a tell-all which actually told nothing," he wrote. "It was merely one man's self-justifying, self-centring version of events.
"My mother once called this butler a dear friend, trusted him implicitly. We did too. Now this. He was milking her disappearance for money. It made my blood boil."
Harry claims he had planned to 'confront' Mr Burrell but his father Charles and brother William persuaded him not to, and all they could do 'issue a united condemnation'.
The duke also claimed that he wasn't involved in writing the statement and claimed he would have 'gone much further'.
Now Paul has spoken of his sadness, as he told the Mirror: "(Harry) has discarded me, but he hasn't thought about all of those years that I spent with his mother, in private, loving her, caring for her, watching out for her.
"I've been dismissed and I'm very sad about that.”
Paul was diagnosed with cancer during a routine medical last summer, revealing an unusual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reading in his blood.
An MRI scan confirmed his illness, leading to a “whirlwind” treatment plan including receiving hormone replacement therapy, an operation in 10 days and future radiation known as brachytherapy.
As we discuss the boys’ bitter rift stoked by Harry’s allegations of William bullying him and Meghan out of the royal family, Paul said he believes their mother would want them to reconcile.
He said: "You look at William and Harry as an 11-year-old and 14-year-old walking behind their mother's coffin, the nation saw that the nation witnessed that and our hearts broke for those two boys.
"That path should have been the same path from then on. That's what Diana would have wanted.
"For the two boys to be stuck side by side for the rest of their lives. Her death should have glued them together forever, but it didn't.”
As he gears up for his treatment journey, Paul said he wants to warn other men like him and those over 50 to go for a check up, which could save their life.
He said: "I must be one of millions of men in this country who have never heard of PSA.
"So, now you do listen to what I'm saying to you. Your loved ones would want you to take a blood test - you owe it to them.
"You owe it to the people around you to live longer and be there for them.”
Paul Burrell did not receive payment for this interview.
