Burrell affair
Encyclopedia
The Burrell affair was a scandal
in 2002 which arose from a number of allegations about the behaviour of the British Royal Family
and their servants. The scandal had constitutional implications for the United Kingdom
, as the Queen is the head of state
of a constitutional monarchy
and is theoretically the embodiment of the state in all legal proceedings, and any involvement of a reigning monarch in a law court would be unprecedented. The only trial of a reigning monarch was that of Charles I
, which occurred during a state of outright civil war.
The theft trial of Paul Burrell
, the butler
of Diana, Princess of Wales
, collapsed after evidence was given that Queen Elizabeth II had spoken with Burrell regarding the items he was accused of stealing. This seemed to provide support for his assertion that he was keeping Diana's possessions for safe-keeping with the consent of the British Royal Family
, rather than stealing them. However, calling upon the Queen to give evidence might have triggered a constitutional crisis
. The Crown Prosecution Service
then presented a Public Interest Immunity
certificate in regard to the Queen's testimony.
of some unmentionable secret.
The scandal threatened to undermine the goodwill towards the monarchy which had increased in recent years following the deaths of Diana and the Queen Mother
.
In the absence of any confirmation or denial of the various stories in a court of law, progressively more scandalous allegations began circulating, including rumours of homosexual rape
by a high-profile royal aide, and of a palace cover-up designed to divert attention away from a covert liaison between the aide and a member of the Royal Family.
The story remained at the centre of British press attention for a number of months after it emerged. The rumours combined the elements of monarchy, class, wealth, politics, sexual innuendo, secrecy, conspiracy and allegations of serious crimes together with issues of constitutional law in a story which held an irresistible attraction for the press, especially when combined with a tabloid circulation war which was raging at the time.
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
in 2002 which arose from a number of allegations about the behaviour of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
and their servants. The scandal had constitutional implications for the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as the Queen is the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
of a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
and is theoretically the embodiment of the state in all legal proceedings, and any involvement of a reigning monarch in a law court would be unprecedented. The only trial of a reigning monarch was that of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, which occurred during a state of outright civil war.
The theft trial of Paul Burrell
Paul Burrell
Paul Burrell, RVM is a former servant of the British Royal Household. He was a footman for Queen Elizabeth II and later butler to Diana, Princess of Wales...
, the butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, collapsed after evidence was given that Queen Elizabeth II had spoken with Burrell regarding the items he was accused of stealing. This seemed to provide support for his assertion that he was keeping Diana's possessions for safe-keeping with the consent of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, rather than stealing them. However, calling upon the Queen to give evidence might have triggered a constitutional crisis
Constitutional crisis
A constitutional crisis is a situation that the legal system's constitution or other basic principles of operation appear unable to resolve; it often results in a breakdown in the orderly operation of government...
. The Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
then presented a Public Interest Immunity
Public Interest Immunity
Public-interest immunity is a principle of English common law under which the English courts can grant a court order allowing one litigant to refrain from disclosing evidence to the other litigants where disclosure would be damaging to the public interest...
certificate in regard to the Queen's testimony.
Media coverage
There had been curious revelations about documents and tapes kept by Paul Burrell, creating rumours that the trial was an attempt at a cover-upCover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
of some unmentionable secret.
The scandal threatened to undermine the goodwill towards the monarchy which had increased in recent years following the deaths of Diana and the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
.
In the absence of any confirmation or denial of the various stories in a court of law, progressively more scandalous allegations began circulating, including rumours of homosexual rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
by a high-profile royal aide, and of a palace cover-up designed to divert attention away from a covert liaison between the aide and a member of the Royal Family.
The story remained at the centre of British press attention for a number of months after it emerged. The rumours combined the elements of monarchy, class, wealth, politics, sexual innuendo, secrecy, conspiracy and allegations of serious crimes together with issues of constitutional law in a story which held an irresistible attraction for the press, especially when combined with a tabloid circulation war which was raging at the time.