The Housekeeper's Diary: Charles and Diana Before the Breakup

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Despite all of these problems, however, the Highgrove staff maintained an affectionate respect for both the Prince and the Princess. Contrary to news reports portraying Charles as an uncaring father, the staff viewed him as having loving relationship with his two sons, and there were good times and laughter with Diana. The plight of the housekeepers was in many cases dire. Their jobs were precarious, demanded great responsibility and made them vulnerable. Their position was one of loneliness, yet also independence. How they were treated would be today viewed as unacceptable.

For all the love Diana showered on her boys, her insecurities were never far from the surface. Barbara Barnes was the children’s beloved nanny. Each morning William would climb into bed with her before they got up for breakfast. Diana began to feel threatened by William’s bond with Barnes, and the nanny was dismissed on the flimsiest of excuses. William, just 4, was hurt and bewildered at the loss of his “Baba,” as he called her. “He became less outgoing, less trusting, less inclined to make himself vulnerable,” wrote Junor. Over the phone from London, there is an edge of anger in Junor’s voice. “The only explanation is she was so tied up with her own feelings that she couldn’t look beyond them to see what this would do to her sons,” she said. “It’s so weird, given that she herself was abandoned and knew how painful that was.” Notably, nanny Barnes was one of the names William added to his personal wedding guest list 24 years after she vanished from his life. Doctor Who 60th Anniversary: Fans go WILD for David Tennant and Catherine Tate's long-awaited return: 'I have missed them so much!'

Bobby Brazier's Strictly tribute to Jade Goody moves judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and actor's father Jeff to tears Asked if he has created a distinctive new style for his party, the Tory leader replies modestly that there isn't yet "such a thing as Hagueism". The book revealed a deeply personal picture of the princess, more so than Wendy Berry's writing, going into depth about her extramarital relationships and thoughts on sensitive subjects. Cent takes a swipe at Diddy after he's sued by a third woman claiming he choked and raped her... shortly after settling lawsuit with ex Cassie I loved this book, I love reading anything about the RF, and when I saw "banned in Britain" on the cover, well, that sealed the deal for me! I found a copy in a thrift store & was surprised that I hadn't heard of the book or author before. What a juicy read! The Windsors were pretty good at keeping up appearances; the rest of the world had no idea what was going on behind closed doors. I found it hard to believe that Diana--so gorgeous, kind, considerate, people-oriented in the public eye--would be so rude to her staff, shouting & cursing at them. Not the image everyone had. I mean, nobody's perfect, but I can't imagine treating anyone I worked with/for so terribly. At least Charles--who did throw occasional tantrums--would never be rude to his staff. By the time Wendy was hired, it was obvious to her that the marriage was in trouble & she watched it go downhill, must have been hard on everyone who worked for the Prince & Princess, and those poor boys were caught in the middle, as all children are when their parents are at wit's end w/each other. It was nice to know that Charles was as good a parent as Diana, they both adored their sons, while the media painted him as an uncaring father, which wasn't true. He may not have been a great husband, but he was a good father. And all the freebies they'd receive, many of which would end up in the incinerator, such a waste! I'd be grateful for all the things that were given to me.

The trial collapsed after the courts were sensationally informed that the butler had told Queen Elizabeth he was storing the items for safekeeping. It’s fascinating how memories echo across time, giving off different sounds. For instance, in her 1995 memoir, The Housekeeper’s Diary, the Prince of Wales’s housekeeper Wendy Berry recalled Jimmy Savile dropping in at Highgrove on one of his regular visits. Strictly fans hit out at judge's scores for Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola as they wow with sizzling Argentine Tango and continue to fuel romance rumours Both parties eventually took comfort outside their joint relationship and in the end that proved to much to bear and a breakup of the marriage was inevitable. But this had to be agreed with the Queen, who features only spasmodically throughout the book. After his unfortunate encounter with Emily Maitlis (pictured), female newscasters may not hold quite the same appeal, writes CRAIG BROWN

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The housekeeper fled Britain and published the book in the U.S., where publishers were protected by the First Amendment. But Charles won a legal case against her in the U.K., awarding him the profits from the book. These could not be collected while Berry was out of the country. The epilogue is of a modern-day housekeeper to a jumped-up lady who was once a vicar's daughter but has become a user of servants as if to the manner born ie. knows no better, "Do know where there is a roll of .....?" "Behind the kitchen? Do you think you could be a darling and get it?" Gee, get over yourself. The job of housekeeper is a more executive position involving computers and offices but there is still hands-on cleaning and the divide between the employer and employed is emphasised by the housekeeper feeling privileged to work for such people and feeling as though by maintaining the historic house she is 'making a difference'. I hope she is financially well-compensated for the less-than-equal, servile attitude she's delighted to embrace and which keeps her employers so happy.