Former royal butler Paul Burrell has made startling claims in his new memoir about the early days of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's marriage, revealing a particular habit that left palace staff members absolutely furious. The ex-employee, who served Princess Diana for a decade, details how the royal newlyweds' behaviour created significant tension within the royal household from the very beginning.
Bedroom Ban That Sparked Outrage
According to Burrell's book The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess, staff members were "up in arms" early in Andrew and Fergie's marriage due to their refusal to leave their marital bed. "From the beginning, the royal newlyweds refused to leave their martial bed," Burrell writes. "The maids weren't allowed to go into the bedroom to make the bed for days."
This created immediate practical problems for the household staff who were accustomed to maintaining strict routines within the palace. When the couple eventually did emerge from their bedroom, they would then host extravagant gatherings that further disrupted palace operations.
Lavish Entertaining That Broke Palace Protocol
Burrell describes how Andrew and Fergie would hold "lavish dinner, lunch and tea parties with all their friends" after finally leaving their bedroom. This spontaneous entertaining caused chaos in the palace kitchens, where staff were "run off their feet" trying to accommodate the unpredictable schedule.
"Even the Queen didn't entertain so extravagantly," Burrell notes in his memoir. "The royal chiefs were furious to be making food like it was an á la carte restaurant. They were used to serving food to the Queen and the Royal Family at set times. It was too much."
Staff Rebellion Reaches the Queen
The situation became so intolerable that palace staff eventually rebelled, with protests being made to the Master of the Household. According to Burrell's account, this official then informed Queen Elizabeth II about her staff's unhappiness with Andrew and Fergie's behaviour.
"She had to intervene and put a stop to the lavish gluttony," Burrell writes. "After all, she despised waste, deciding in advance which food should be cooked for her each day. So why should Andrew and Fergie be different?"
Burrell suggests this intervention was necessary to restore order to palace operations and maintain the disciplined routines that Buckingham Palace staff preferred.
Andrew's Difficult Reputation Among Staff
The former butler also claims that Prince Andrew was "never easy" to get along with, particularly for palace staff members. This revelation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Andrew's connections to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which has also entangled his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Fergie, now 66, has faced renewed attention regarding her relationship with Epstein following the release of Department of Justice emails in the United States. These documents reportedly show the former Duchess of York asking Epstein to "marry" her, offering to show his clients around Buckingham Palace, and even taking her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie to meet him.
Palace Nicknames and Drinking Culture
In another section of his book, Burrell reveals the humorous two-word nickname that staff used for Buckingham Palace, referencing what he describes as a drinking culture within the palace walls.
"It wasn't just bed-hopping that went on in the palaces; there was a degree of inebriation which often helped people's inhibitions," Burrell writes. "Forget Buckingham Palace, it was nicknamed 'Gin Palace' after the spirit that flowed freely through the everyday workings of the building. Gin, always, Gordon's, was the drink of choice."
Burrell, who first worked as a footman to Queen Elizabeth before serving as King Charles' butler, became most famous as a confidante to Princess Diana. His latest memoir provides fresh insights into the private workings of the royal household during a period of significant transition and controversy.
