{"id":278700,"date":"2026-06-26T07:38:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T07:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/278700\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T07:38:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T07:38:53","slug":"paul-burrell-shares-a-memorable-moment-in-queen-elizabeths-bedroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/278700\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Burrell Shares a Memorable Moment in Queen Elizabeth’s Bedroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul Burrell might be best known as the controversial former butler<\/a> to Princess Diana<\/a>, but before he worked for the late royal<\/a>, Burrell served Queen Elizabeth as a footman at Buckingham Palace. In a recent conversation, Burrell, speaking on behalf of Champions Speakers Agency<\/a>, recalls a particularly memorable moment with the late Queen\u2014and the joke that she didn\u2019t quite get.<\/p>\n

Burrell, 68, shares that one of his duties was to bring the Imperial State Crown<\/a> to Queen Elizabeth before the State Opening of Parliament<\/a> each year. After it was brought over from the Tower of London, the former footman would bring the historic crown on a red cushion and \u201ctake it into the Queen\u2019s bedroom and put it on a small table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queen Elizabeth was known to practice wearing the Crown Jewels around the house<\/a> due to their weight, even wearing St Edward\u2019s Crown<\/a>, used for her coronation, to give Prince Charles<\/a> and Princess Anne<\/a> a bath. While Burrell certainly didn\u2019t intrude on the late monarch\u2019s bath time, he describes one night when he witnessed Queen Elizabeth taking part in some crown-wearing practice.<\/p>\n

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\"The\n<\/p>\n

Queen Elizabeth wears the Imperial State Crown in 2015.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one evening, I went into her room, and the room was in pitch black. And I stood there in the doorway. She\u2019d rung her bell to say goodnight,\u201d he recalls. \u201cAnd I stood there, transfixed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Burrell shares that Queen Elizabeth was sitting at her desk wearing the Imperial State Crown, and her lamp meant the \u201cfacets of all the diamonds and emeralds and sapphires were shooting in my direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When the late Queen asked him why he was smiling, Burrell says he replied, \u201cYour Majesty, if only your people could see you now.”<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, \u2018What do you mean?\u2019\u201d the former palace staffer continues. \u201cI said, \u2018Well, wearing your crown around your house\u2019. And as I looked down, she was wearing her pink, fluffy slippers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Queen\n<\/p>\n

Burrell (back left, riding above the late Queen and Prince Philip) served Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace before moving to work for Princess Diana.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Burrell told the late monarch that her ensemble was \u201ca sign of a monarch and a mother all rolled into one,\u201c adding \u201cIt would make a very good pub name. The Crown and Slippers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The footman, who was called \u201cSmall Paul\u201d to set him apart from footman Paul Whybrew, a.k.a. \u201cTall Paul,\u201d shares that Queen Elizabeth didn’t quite get the joke. \u201cI don\u2019t think she found that very amusing,\u201d he says. \u201cShe didn\u2019t understand pub names.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also admits to \u201cnearly\u201d trying on the Imperial State Crown for himself…until the late Queen walked in on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Queen had a long dressing mirror in her bedroom,\u201d he shares. \u201cSo, on one occasion, I went in there, I looked at the crown, I looked at the dressing mirror, and I thought, ‘Dare I?’ And just at that moment, The Queen came through the bedroom door.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nQueen Elizabeth II
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