A Royal Duty

Rating:
Summary: Unswerving Devotion or Unhealthy Obsession?
Review: You decide.

The first two thirds of this book is delightful, filled with autobiographical tidbits and tactful glimpses into the daily lives of Diana and the Royal Family. Burrell presents a likable and well-adjusted face to the reader. But by the end, Diana and the royals are reduced to minor characters, overcome by Burrell's obsessiveness. The real show comes with watching him unravel on the pages before us.

What starts out as a crisp and professional sense of "duty" gradually descends into Burrell's compulsion to make sure that everyone on the planet knows how up close and personal his relationship with the Princess REALLY was. He beats us over the head with this "we shared something special that no one will ever understand" business constantly in the last third of the book.

What right did Burrell have to retain anything belonging to the princess or her family after her death, except those items that had been given expressly to him as gifts? He kept no records to back up his claims, nor did Diana. Whether he intended to sell the items is secondary. Without the princess around to defend him, Burrell's tale is simply a story of "he said, she said."

And, think about it from the Spencer's point of view. Even if Burrell was close to Diana, it was not his place to determine whether her family had a right to her belongings.

There are too many questions that the author fails to answer convincingly. Why didn't her friends come to his IMMEDIATE rescue? Why did the Royal Family leave him twisting in the wind for so long? The Queen is a savvy woman; "gray suits" notwithstanding, HRH would have been aware of the royal habit of gifting staff with unwanted items. She also knew Burrell well.

Diana and the royals were not Paul Burrell's friends. He was the hired help, and if he didn't have the sense in twenty years of service to learn the CYA rule, then perhaps he deserved his silly fate.

While it's easy to understand how inhabiting the world of the royals could become addictive, even for a servant, it's sad to see that Burrell's entire sense of self-worth was wrapped up in his employer, to his and his family's detriment. I was shocked at his admission that he respected Diana more than his own WIFE. However, given recent unrefuted revelations concerning his personal life, his attitude towards his wife begins to make sense

Ah well, no matter. This book will sell a zillion copies and to his credit, Burrell took the high road. He kept the REALLY dirty linen tucked safely in the hamper--at least for the time being.

DO tell.

Rating:
Summary: A royal duty
Review: This book did not meet my expections at all. It seems to me the author Paul just like to make money in publishing a book about Princess Diana. Since she is such a famous person.

Rating:
Summary: Needs to remember he was HIRED HELP
Review: I recently finished A Royal Duty, by Paul Burrell. The rating which I have given this book is not because it is an excellent book. In fact, it is quite boring at some points. It is because this man and author of this book attempts to put forth an appearance and image of himself, not the princess, which is quite incredulous. The underlying theme implied by the author is that he had a hand in the appearance, demeanor and performance of the Diana, Princess of Wales.
I find it quite ironic that Mr. Burrell speaks of Princess Diana's naivety several times during the course of the book, but maybe he should look at his own naivety. Mr. Burrell could not understand why the royals would not rescue him during his time of need (Old Bailey trial). The bottom line is that Mr. Burrell was hired help to the royal family. The royal family owes him no allegiance or loyalty. He can distort and warp his position within the royal family as much as he wants, but he is nothing more than hired help.
The friendship and closeness that Mr. Burrell developed with Princess Diana is unique. I speculate this type of relationship developed because Princess Diana is not blood-royalty. Mr. Burrell could not understand why Prince Charles would not open up to him. Prince Charles, who was born into royalty, views the extent to which a servant is a "friend" differently than his ex-wife. Princess Diana married into royalty and, therefore, brought a different view and different rules. Mr. Burrell even noted in his book how certain staff members did not care for Princess Diana's friendly approach to the staff. They (the staff) believed that a Royal's place was upstairs at all times and only the staff should go downstairs. It should not be a mystery to the butler as to why Prince Charles or other members of the royal family did not want to be Mr. Burrell's best friend.
Mr. Burrell's commitment to Princess Diana was very extreme. Before reading the book, I was under the impression that he was just a devoted employee. After reading the book, I truly believe that his level of commitment bordered on, if was not, obsession. I base this belief on the neglect his wife and sons suffered when Princess Diana was alive and after she died and several of the actions and decisions of Mr. Burrell. I can understand being committed to your employer, but this degree of obligation was excessive. I find it disturbing that Mr. Burrell slept in Princess Diana's closet after her death just to smell her.
In the end, I have to say I am sorry I bought this book. I feel all I have done is feed his obsession.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Fascinating
Review: I picked this book up on a whim while at the bookstore, but once I got started, I was swept up in Mr. Burrell's descriptions of palace life and the people that inhabited those residences. I found that the book was quite even-handed for the most part, in reference to the portrayal of the royals, which made for at least a somewhat insightful look into their personalities and how they might have been mis-represented by the press. Mr. Burrell seems to have the knack of making people's imperfections seem less as a negativity than as a side of their humanity. I was particularly interested by his respective handling of the royals - most descriptions of them were of respect rather than bitterness, which could have easily tainted the book as it was not a secret that the royal family was not thrilled by this book. A surprisingly good read, overall.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best written Royal books, not just Diana stuff
Review: Some people whine about too much Diana stuff, treason & so on, I found A Royal Duty to be one of the better Royal/ Diana (it is after all a book about Burrell's service with the royal family not just Diana)books out on the market.
It starts out with Mr. Burrell's beginnings and how he first got into royal service, no big secrets but you do find some details given here not often seen in other books.
I did find that there was a lot of "I" stuff in the book but much of that can be backed up by what other writers have done so he doesn't really brag all that much. No real secrets given about the Princess, most of the rumors left out or just hinted at, some are given what might be described as insider explanations. Certainly nothing treasonous to Diana or other Royals.
I would venture to say that Mr. Burrell favors the Princess over Prince Charles but think that he treats both of them fairly. He does seem to have no use for the Spencer family or Scotland Yard but that is natural as they tried to hang him in his theft trial. A much better book than his critics have claimed, well worth owning.

Rating:
Summary: A Royal Snoozer
Review: Anybody that finds this book interesting has apparently never read much about Diana. I have read just about all the other books written about her, and they beat this one by far. The first 100 pages are about Paul B.'s life, and his service to the Queen. We find out all the small details of the Queen's day, and if you are interested in what she has for breakfast, this is your book. It is almost 100 pages before we get to the Diana part, and frankly I don't know why so much was made of this book. He was (is) so blinded by her that he is pathetic. A waste of time. Basically it is very repetitious, - he tells about fixing her breakfast, lunch, her dinner, blah, blah. He tells what she wore. He was THERE for her !! Frankly, after all I had read about this book I was expecting some new gossip, but there is not even any old gossip. Just too many mundane details about his service, which frankly, made for boring reading. And, he did the unforgivable. He made her boring.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Unlike some reviewers who trashed this book, I found it to be a very insightful look into a fascinating world that none of us, especially Americans, could have a clue about. Burrell clearly was dedicated both to Queen Elizabeth II, and later to Diana when he served them. He is frank, honest, and still in deep grief. This is a tribute book to both the Queen and Diana. It is definitely NOT a tribute book to her ex-husband. Paul clearly has deep affection for William and Harry and it shows.

Paul's wife Maria comes across as both a whining nag and saint. It must have been a horrible time for her especially during the trial period when he was falsely accused. I fail to see Paul as a "traitor" in his behavior as some others have. I see a wounded, used, abused and utterly heartbroken man. What he had to endure just to serve the royals, even though it was his choice of a career, is a strong lesson for the whiners and complainers in any society. As he quoted in his book from the movie Gosford Park, "a good servant has no life". That bird would not fly in America, especially with our demand of freedom and independence. Overall, this book is a riveting account of history in the making. Warts and all, it is worth the time and money spent to peek into a place seemingly frozen in time.

Rating:
Summary: Queer eye for the Princess?
Review: Had to read it.
It didn't reveal anything not yet known.
Pauls wife deserves a sainthood for still being with him.
Nice finish, left it open for his next money grabbing venture.
A couple of things I would like to say to Paul:
Look up the word "Traitor" (not to be confused with "Treason") in the dictionary.
Put on your tiara (however you got it), one of your sequined dresses and totter off on your high heels, back to the rock you crawled from under.

I'm mad at myself for spending my hard earned money to line your pocket.

Rating:
Summary: Truth is Stranger than Fiction
Review: Excellent Book! Very well written and flows beautifully. I can see that it is something written from the heart. If he did his job the way he wrote the book, he must have been an excellent butler etc. etc. I like the way he describes the day-to-day life of royalty and doesn't give his 'tuppence worth of gossip'. I don't mind in the least that he is keeping back 'secrets' as everyone is entitled to their privacy. I note that it is hard for Paul to remain objective about the Prince of Wales, still he is human. The way he describes his 'witch hunt' in 2001 makes my sympathy level rise to 150%. An amazing roller coaster ride that has obviously marked him for life.

Rating:
Summary: good read for royal watchers
Review: paul burrell's book provides a glimpse of Princess Diana that well captures the ups and downs of her personality. Most intriguing, perhaps, is the picture of life of Buckingham and Kensington Palaces from a butler's viewpoint. The author was consumed by his devotion to the Princess, and that devotion was so extreme that his entire life was effected during his tenure with Princess Diana and since then. That his wife and family stood by him while he was in her employ is remarkable, but his relationship with his wife during that time is not entirely clear. While Burrell has much insight into his extraordinary fascination and devotion, his present state of mind and ambition are not fully put forth. This book is not a salacious tell all, but a vivid portrait of an unusual relationship and his descriptions both of the royals and of the palace life are compelling.