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Di's Butler Refuses Court Return

Burrell denies he perjured himself to princess' inquest

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 6, 2008 1:12 PM CST

(Newser) – Princess Diana’s ex-butler rejected a request to return to Britain to clarify statements made to a reporter about having lied to the inquest into her death, the Guardian reports today. Paul Burrell, who now lives in Florida, says he had "been drinking all evening and was tired and depressed" the night he was unwittingly videotaped bragging about perjuring himself.

"I am not proud of this. I was trying to impress him. The comments I made to him were not correct," Burrell said in a statement alleging he'd been entrapped by a Sun reporter. When speaking to the inquest “my evidence may at times have strayed from the strictly relevant, but at no time did I tell any untruths."

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

Princess Diana's butler and confidant Paul Burrell is seen through the window of a taxi as he is driven away after giving evidence at the coroner's inquest into the death of the late Princess Diana and... (Associated Press)

Princess Diana's butler and confidant Paul Burrell poses for photographer during a lunch break at the coroner's inquest into the death the late Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed at the High Court in London,... (Associated Press)

Former butler to Britain's Princess Diana's, Paul Burrell, appears during a television taping in New York, USA, Monday Aug. 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (Associated Press)

Princess Diana's butler and confidant Paul Burrell is driven away in a taxi after giving evidence at the coroner's inquest into the death of the late Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed at the High Court in... (Associated Press)

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Di's Butler Refuses Court Return