Burrell, who began working as a Buckingham Palace footman at 18 before serving Princess Diana for a decade, sets out his view of the King’s temperament and routines in The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana.
His assessment arrives as other ex-staff describe a court still defined by hierarchy, tradition, and the King’s exacting personal habits.
Burrell writes: “Charles has always lived in a world where all his household and staff bow and call him ‘Your Royal Highness.’ Now, of course, it is ‘Your Majesty.’ “Nobody says no. If you do, you’re out.”
He adds: “He lives in a gilded bubble and is served whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and by whom he wants.” According to Burrell, Camilla remains the lone exception.
“The only person that can say ‘No’ is Camilla. She is and always will be a non-negotiable. Perhaps her no-nonsense approach is what Charles needs,” he writes.
“She’s the steady hand on the tiller of the royal ship now, like it or not. She is at the helm. She rarely asks for anything but is given everything and now has the ultimate position as Queen.”
