Prince Philip: Former royal butler Paul Burrell pays tribute to the Queen's 'rock'

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Paul Burrell, the former royal butler, has paid tribute to Prince Philip who has died aged 99.

Speaking to ITV News, Burrell said the Duke of Edinburgh, who was the Queen's consort of more than 70 years, was her "main stay through her life".



Burrell, who was first introduced to his wife Maria through the Prince, said the Duke of Edinburgh was a "hard man" who also had a soft side to him.

He added: "I saw grown men cry in his presence. He was hard, tough. But inside, he had that softness for ladies, so that's what the Queen saw - the other side of him."

A life in public service was set for the Queen and Prince Philip from the beginning of their relationship, their personal roles evolving from young sweethearts to married parents and eventually to great-grandparents in an expanding royal dynasty.  

Theirs was a union rooted in a wartime romance following an encounter at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 1939 when the queen was just 13. 

The former Royal Butler also revealed


As the British royal family's longest serving consort, Prince Philip was always two steps behind her Majesty the Queen - though he was never afraid to speak his mind. 

For Burrell, the Duke was the 'CEO of the Royal House of Windsor' who will be missed greatly.


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