Queen’s death: Royal footman Paul Burrell on what Queen Elizabeth was like behind the scenes

Queen Elizabeth’s former footman and Paul Burrell of 11 years has shared his grief over her death and reflected on some of his most memorable moments in the palace. 

Speaking with Australian radio show Kyle and Jackie O, Paul, who also served as Princess Diana’s personal butler until her death, said he was extremely saddened by the ‘unexpected’ news of the Queen’s passing after joining her as her personal footman when he was just a boy at 18.

Paul said Her Majesty was ‘so thoughtful’ with a ‘great sense of humour’ and told of the amusing moment he was in the middle of serving her dinner when the police informed him his wife was giving birth. 

‘She said “oh go, go you must go straight away” and I said “who is going to clean up all the dishes” and she said “oh don’t worry you can do that in the morning”,’ the 64-year-old recalled, laughing through tears.

‘She said “when your baby arrives please ring me and let me know it’s here”.’

When his son had arrived, Paul phoned the Queen to tell her they had a baby boy and she requested to see him immediately. 

‘At two days old we took him into her sitting room and she put her finger in my son’s hand and he grasped it,’ he said. 

‘I told him that today and we both cried because that was a moment in history and she was a wonderful lady. I have nothing but admiration and respect for her.’ 

The last photo taken of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest serving monarch, who died at 6:30pm GMT

Paul claimed the Queen had given up alcohol and no longer had her evening gin and tonics or martinis following her husband Prince Philip’s death in April. 

‘Since Prince Philip died she hasn’t had a drink at all, she’s been drinking apple juice and tomato juice on doctor’s orders,’ Paul said.

‘Before that she loved a gin and tonic and she could drink several in an evening and a martini. She loved a drink!’

Another of the Queen’s favourite treats, Paul said, was jam sandwiches and that she loved which she would eat on picnic’s with her daughter Princess Margaret who died in 2002. 

Paul, who was Princess Diana’s person butler until her untimely death in 1997, shared a heart-warming and amusing anecdote about the Queen meeting his son at just two days old 

‘The Queen loved to go picnicking on the hillside and with princess Margaret they’d go and pick wild strawberries and blueberries and the chef would make jam and they’d have it at tea time,’ he said. 

Paul said the Queen has been ‘sorely and desperately’ missing Philip since his passing and called him the ‘CEO of the firm’ behind the scenes. 

‘The queen wore the trousers in public and he wore the trousers behind closed doors. She let him be master of the household so he ran all the palaces and he ran the royal business,’ Paul said. 

‘He’s waiting for her in St George’s chapel Windsor and she will be beside him very soon. She will go to the other side and meet her parents and her sister. There are more people on the other side than there are on this.’

Paul, who ‘stood beside’ the monarch for 11 years, said he was ‘very sad’ to lose someone ‘so inspirational and selfless and caring’ and said he was concerned for her health when he saw her with new British prime minster, Liz Truss, just days ago. 

‘I knew the queen was unwell but I didn’t think she was this unwell. I saw her with the PM yesterday and I thought oh my goodness you don’t look very good,’ he said.  

‘She was an inspiration to me when I joined her at 18. I was her personal footman so I was with her on a daily basis to make sure she got her mail and her telephone calls. I was her boy. I was the contact between her and the outside world.’

As for the royal family’s future, Paul said the Queen was often training Prince William while he was in the palace.  

‘She took a great interest in William and she was training him to do the red boxes and to be monarch. I think the future of the royal family depends on William and Kate,’ he said.