Burrell's Diana book flops

Sep 22, 2006, 18:03 GMT

Paul Burrell's tell-all book about Britain's Princess Diana has flopped.

The former butler of the princess had hoped his second tome about his life with Diana, 'The Way We Were', would match the success of his first book 'A Royal Duty', but only 6,000 copies have been sold in it's first week.

The poor sales could be attributed to the hostile reception Burrell - once described by Diana as her "rock" - has received since announcing the publication of his follow-up book.

The former servant has been accused by those close to the late royal - killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 - of betraying Diana's name, and “cashing in” on his association with her.

'The Way We Were' is currently just 28th in The Book Standard's non-fiction website chart, falling well short of predicted sales. In comparison, 'A Royal Duty' has shifted 274,000 copies since it was published in October 2003.

Burrrell insists he is defending Diana's reputation in his latest book, but Simone Simmons, the princess's former friend and therapist, claims the text contains major inaccuracies.

She has also described incidents where both Diana and Burrell admitted their hatred for each another.

She told Britain's Daily Express newspaper: "I can remember Paul telling me that he had applied for a job working for Mel Gibson because he was fed up to the back teeth with Diana. He said he hated her guts.

"In this book he claims he was acting as a go-between for Diana and Hasnat Khan - the surgeon she dated - but I think I was around about that time in September 1996 when Paul was actually looking for a job elsewhere."

Burrell recently upset Diana's sons, Princes Harry and William, when he accused them of no longer flying the flag for their mother.

Diana's former sister-in-law, Sarah Ferguson, has also publicly attacked the former butler for betraying the princess.

(C) BANG Media International