Paul Burrell: Princess Diana would encourage Harry and Meghan to be happy
Former butler to the late Princess of Wales, hopes her two sons can heal their rift.
Paul Burrell has spoken for the first time ahead of Prince Harry's showdown with The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William at Sandringham today, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to step down as 'senior royals'.
The 61- year-old said he Prince Harry wants to follow in his mother's footsteps and become 'more of a humanitarian than a royal' but feels sorry that the siblings are no longer close.
Paul told Good Morning Britain: “I’m hoping William can build a strong bridge towards his brother during this meeting and bring him back into the fold as his brother."
"I do feel sorry for William and Harry not having that bond which they once had. Obviously, when their mother died, they were cemented together and inseparable. I feel sorry for that and their mother would be sad, too."
Speaking about what advice the late Princess Diana would have given her children, he said: "She would have given the boys advice and said to them: 'Marry for love', which they have, 'Be respectful and kind to your wife', which they both have, but 'Be happy' because Diana wasn’t and clearly Meghan and Harry aren’t happy in the environment they’re in - being stifled by the royal household.”
He added: “I feel very sorry for the Queen, of course… 93-years-old, our monarch has suffered greatly over the years and seen a lot happen to her family, and she’s moved with the times."