EXCLUSIVE: Why Jeffrey Epstein Was 'Desperate' to Get Princess Diana's Most Loyal Butler on His Staff
Jeffrey Epstein was desperate to get Princess Diana's butler on his side.
March 11 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Jeffrey Epstein was "desperate" to get Princess Diana's ex-butler, Paul Burrell, on his staff – as a "butler trainer."
An email buried in the millions of files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January on the Epstein case shows Burrell, 67, was wanted as an employee after impressing as a conference speaker.
Epstein Files Mention Princess Diana's Former Butler
Newly released Epstein files mentioned Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell.
The March 2001 document hailed the manservant the "class act" of the event and highlighted his 21 years working for the royal family. It added: "We highly recommend investigating the possibility of him conducting training sessions for our staff."
Burrell was branded Diana's most loyal "rock" when he served the royal from the late 1980s.
He hit out at being named in the Epstein files dump: "It turns out that someone, whose name is redacted, was emailing someone else and had suggested me."
"It's sickening," he added. "Clearly, I wasn't right for whoever these individuals were, as I was never contacted by them or Epstein, whom I have never spoken to, let alone met. But like everyone else, hearing snippets from these nefarious files, I would like to know why there are so many names being redacted."
"It makes no sense that such serious, heinous alleged crimes have taken place, and some people are being shielded," Burrell added.
Epstein Wanted Butler As Royal Connection
Epstein reportedly viewed Burrell as a prized asset.
A source has now told Radar Epstein, who died from an apparent suicide aged 66 in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York, saw Burrell as a "prized asset."
They added: "Jeffrey saw him as another 'in' with the royals. He also knew he could add flair to his many parties and was the key to a lot of royal secrets.
"He was desperate to get him on staff, and luckily for Paul, it never happened."
Epstein spent years as a friend of shamed Andrew Windsor, 66, who was stripped of his royal titles last year by King Charles, 77, over his links to the warped abuser.
Windsor is now on release "under investigation" by cops after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after allegedly sharing sensitive information with his pedophile pal Epstein during his role as a trade envoy for Britain.
Former Royal Bodyguard Calls Andrew Windsor 'Arrogant'
Former royal bodyguard Ken Wharfe criticized Andrew WIndsor publicly.
The ex-Duke of York was recently branded "one of the most arrogant individuals" on the planet by Diana's former protection officer.
Ken Wharfe, a former Scotland Yard inspector and SAS-trained royal protection officer who guarded Diana between 1988 and 1993, made the remarks during an appearance on the Suddenly Single podcast.
Wharfe, who worked closely with Diana until shortly before she died in 1997, said he had encountered Windsor, now 66, several times during his years serving the royal family and formed an immediate negative impression of the man once known as the Duke of York.
The comments come after Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has not been charged and has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Wharfe said his experience dealing with the disgraced royal left him with a deeply unfavorable view.
He said: "I did, on a few occasions, have dealings with him in a professional capacity. I found him to be one of the most arrogant individuals I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."
Royal Scandal Continues To Shadow The Monarchy
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Wharfe described the disgraced royal as arrogant.
Wharfe also explained he had tried to avoid speaking publicly about the controversy surrounding Windsor for months but felt the continuing developments had made silence impossible.
He said, "Ever since the Epstein crisis that hit the Royal Family, I've taken a personal stand on this. The whole issue of the Duke of York, as he was, and now Mountbatten-Windsor, is excruciatingly toxic, and continues to be."
The former protection officer added the scandal surrounding Windsor and his association with Epstein continues to dominate headlines and raise new questions about the royal family's handling of the affair.
"There isn't a day now, in the last six months, where there hasn't been a story surrounding the Duke of York, Windsor's association with Epstein, which has now brought into contact his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson," he noted.
Windsor was arrested on February 19, his 66th birthday, amid allegations that he passed confidential information to Epstein during his time serving as Britain's trade envoy.
Investigators are examining claims the alleged information exchanges may have occurred while Epstein was seeking influence and connections among powerful figures around the world.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with an offense.
Wharfe suggested the ongoing controversy has cast a long shadow over the monarchy, particularly for Charles, who now faces the challenge of managing the fallout from his younger brother's legal troubles while attempting to modernize the institution and continue his cancer treatment.
He explained: "The King himself is going through a very difficult period of life, trying to sort out his younger brother's problems. But William and Harry, particularly, were to be part of the King's future design of the monarchy."
Wharfe added the absence of Prince Harry, 41, who stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States in 2020 with his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, had complicated those plans.
"Unfortunately, (Charles has) lost that third, that Harry third, who I think was an important part of restructuring the monarchy for the future," Wharfe explained.
