Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell has warned Meghan Markle to “stay close to Harry” during Christmas at Sandringham.
The Royal family’s former employee has offered advice to the Duchess of Sussex, as rumours of a feud between her and Kate Middleton continue to hid headlines.
Paul warned Meghan to look out for “traps” as she prepares to spend four days at Sandringham with her new in-laws.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Paul said, “Stay close to Harry and his granny… or you’re in trouble!”
“I’ve been there for so many Christmases, this house is occupied by some of the biggest personalities and egos in the country,” he continued.
“All these people are members of the royal family, they are all larger than life, have character to go with it. Everyone is jostling for position and attention and they’re bouncing off the walls after four days. It’s like a pinball machine.
“They all want to please the Queen and want airtime with her, it’s the one time that they can sit down with the head of the family and make an impression.”
He explained, “They are going to set traps, there will be pitfalls along the way, but Harry will catch her, so stay close to him. Nothing will happen if you’re close to the Queen’s grandson.”
“But if you stray away from him and start to do things by yourself, that’s when there could be problems.”
Paul also advised Meghan to brush up on her card-playing skills, as he encouraged her to play bridge and canasta with the Queen after dinner.
“It’s what I said to Diana when she first came into the family, try to get airtime with the Queen, speak into her ear,” he said.
“The best time to do it is when she’s seated at her card table, before and after dinner, she will sit and play Bridge or Canasta and she’ll always ask people to join her, that’s your chance to get quality time and tell the monarch what you’re thinking and feeling.”
“That’s the time Meghan should grasp, don’t be talking dresses and jewels with other royals, head for the Queen. The Queen is the most humble, approachable and kind person you’ll ever meet, she’s a great listener, nothing will shock her, she’s heard everything, and you can tell her everything, and it will be safe.”
“The Queen has to be informed from the horse’s mouth, if you don’t do that, you’re doing an injustice, I hope that Meghan will get this advice from Harry, that granny knows best,” he continued.
“If you speak your fears, she will take it onboard and speak to the right person. She will change the rules, she did it for William and Harry, she can do it, but only if she knows about it.”
“The Queen will be very aware of the media attention [on Meghan], she reads every single newspaper, every morning. She scans each one, then sees what they say, and makes an informed decision, based on what she reads with what she knows. She can then know if it’s truth or fiction.”
“She will try to resolve it, she will take her grandsons to one side, and ask: ‘Is there any truth in this?’ Or: ‘I’ve heard this, how can I be of help?’ She’s their granny. She loves them very much and wants them to be very happy. The Queen is their best friend.
“At least Meghan has the support of Harry, he’s been there, done it, it’s part of his world. This is the way granny does it, we pay respect to it.
“She’s already the same age as when Diana died, so is a mature woman, who comes from a mixed race background, and is American – these are positives that the royals should embrace to go forward in my eyes.
“But she’s going to come up with opposition within the four walls of the royal household and they will be seen as negatives, like Diana did,” he added.
