Diana viewed Paul Burrell as her 'rock'

But his mother saw the letters first and burnt the one from Cunard.

Mr Burrell entered the royal household in 1976 as a trainee footman and within a year was appointed personal footman to the Queen.

In 1984 he married Maria, then a maid to Prince Phillip, and they have two sons, Alexander and Nicholas.

The couple both joined the staff of the Wales's in 1986 and were given jobs at Highgrove - he as butler, she as a maid and dresser.

The royal manservant stayed with Diana throughout her marriage break-up.

Indeed the Princess wrote two words when asked what she wanted to salvage from her broken marriage - they were Paul Burrell.

In the aftermath of her death, Mr Burrell was asked to spearhead the Diana Memorial Fund, the charitable foundation set up in her name.

He said: "I tried to protect the princess during her lifetime and now I am trying to protect her memory."

Paul Burrell was honoured for his service to the palace

And in September 1997 he was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal by the Queen in recognition of his service to the Royal Family and the Princess of Wales.

Interviewed two years after the Paris car crash, he said: "If I could have one wish, it would be to put the clock back and for everything to be like it was before she died."

He flew around the world raising money for the good causes she believed in.

After dinner speeches

Since then he has been demand for after-dinner speeches and has launched a writing career.

The Derbyshire-born Butler wrote a cookery and etiquette book about how to entertain in royal style.

He also added a newspaper column and magazine articles offering advice on dinner parties minus "snobbery".

And as an after-dinner speaker he bases his talks on nearly two decades of service with the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Mr Burrell, of Wrexham, North Wales, wrote to the Queen after the Princess's death asking if he and his wife Maria and two children could remain in their home in Kensington Palace.

But a palace spokesman said then that everybody who left Royal employment had to give up the free accommodation that went with it.