A Royal Duty
by Paul Burrell
Penguin $105
It's hard to say why this book has upset the British royal family so much. It's far from a trashy tell-all, and there's little that hasn't been written about elsewhere. Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler, reveals he bought porn for Prince William, and that Prince Charles once threw a book at him for refusing to lie to Diana about Camilla Parker-Bowles. His most shocking claim is that 10 months before her death Diana wrote a letter saying: 'This phase in my life is the most dangerous.' She went on to name someone who 'is planning an 'accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for Charles to marry'. But for most of the book Burrell gives an intimate account of the machinery that keeps the palace running. He even shows genuine affection for the royals.
