Princess Diana’s controversial former butler Paul Burrell has never shied away from the media when it comes to discussing his relationship with the late princess. However, in the lead-up to the 20th anniversary of her tragic death, accusations are mounting that her friend and confidant is betraying her trust and memory.

Now, Burrell, author of A Royal Duty, has slammed his critics as being “jealous” of his close friendship with Diana.

“I’ve been accused sometimes of telling too many secrets [but] I only have one person to justify myself to,” he told 9Honey. “The trouble is there’s lots of jealousy. People are jealous of my relationship with her. I can’t help that. That’s not my problem, that’s theirs. It’s not mine.”

He recently defended himself against having broken her trust by revealing he had refused a UK tabloid’s request to know what the princess had been wearing in her coffin, saying it “crossed a line”.

“If it’s between me and her and it’s in a private capacity and behind closed doors and it’s nothing to do with anyone else, it’s between me and her.”

The one exception to his rule, however, is if he feels the information would “enhance her image” or if it was a message he thought Diana would want to be shared.

“People get confused because they think of her as a princess all the time, think of her as an ordinary woman. If it was your best friend, what would you do? Well I’m doing the same thing, it’s just that she’s Diana.”

Do you think the criticism of Burrell is justified? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.