Royal ex-staffers spill on family secrets
They have a whole army of staff to help them get through royal life, but what happens when royal aides go rogue? Here, some ex-staffers reveal what really goes on behind-the-scenes of the British royal family.
Private secretary Patrick Jephson
He was Princess Diana’s private secretary for seven years and after hand-delivering his resignation note to the princess in 1996, Patrick released his tell all memoir Shadows of a Princess in 2000, detailing how angry Diana was at her treatment by the royal family.
Patrick’s book not only claimed the royal jewellery Diana received was reward for “years of purgatory with this f***ing family", his book also revealed that Diana smuggled one of her lovers into the Palace in the boot of her car, as well as how she was “becoming paranoid about non-existent plots to bug her conversations or even assassinate her”.
The Queen and Prince Charles slammed Patrick's tell-all book.
Valet Ken Stronach
He was responsible for Prince Charles’ wardrobe and travel arrangements but royal valet, Ken Stronach also spilled the Duke of Cornwall’s secrets.
Not only did he reveal the prince likes to take a teddy bear to bed, Ken also spoke about how he had to scrub grass stains out of Prince Charles’ pyjamas after a night-time tryst with Camilla Parker-Bowles – while Charles was still married to Diana.
“Prince Charles made love to Camilla Parker Bowles in the bushes of his Highgrove mansion while Princess Diana slept inside," News of the World reported in 1995.
"It was a big risk and a stupid thing to do but he's blind to everything where the lady is concerned."
Prince Charles got a High Court injunction to stop Ken from revealing more details on his life with Diana
Secretary Sarah Goodall
After 12 years as Prince Charles’ secretary, Sarah Goodall was let go in 2000, reportedly with a jealous Camilla the reason behind the sacking.
Goodall not only attempted to sell the Duke of Cornwall’s private diaries to the British press, she also wrote a book The Palace Diaries: The True Story of Life Behind the Palace Gates.
Goodall, who had access to Prince Charles’ private journals and often travelled on his private plane with him, claims she had a close, sometimes ‘flirtatious’ relationship with her boss, which took place during his marriage breakdown to Diana and throughout his romance to Camilla.
"If having affairs when one is married is something to be seriously condemned, then as many rotten eggs should be flung at the memory of Diana as at the persons of Charles and Camilla," she wrote in her book.