Princess Diana's butler Paul Burrell is declared not guilty of stealing hundreds of her private possessions after the Queen intervenes with crucial new evidence. BBC News Online provides coverage of the trial and its collapse.
12 November 2002Internal review announced
Prince Charles has ordered an internal inquiry into the scandals surrounding the collapse of the trial of Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell. The investigation will be carried out by the Prince's private secretary, Sir Michael Peat.
8 November 2002Earl disputes butler "lies"
Earl Spencer condemns Diana's former royal butler for "yet more hurtful lies" about how his family treated the Princess of Wales. Mr Burrell had said the earl behaved disrespectfully by removing the Royal Standard from Diana's coffin.
7 November 2002Spencers under fire
Paul Burrell attacks the Spencer family and its relationship with the late Princess of Wales. He claims the family found Diana "unacceptable" when she was alive and says his "stomach turned" during Earl Spencer's speech at her funeral.
6 November 2002Queen 'warns Burrell'
Paul Burrell claims the Queen warned him his closeness to Diana could put his safety at risk. The former Royal butler tells the Daily Mirror the comments were made during the meeting that triggered the collapse of his trial.
4 November 2002Burrell sells his story
The Mirror secures the rights to Paul Burrell's story. The former royal butler is said to have received £300,000 for his account of his ordeal, which the paper's editor Piers Morgan describes as "pretty searing stuff".
3 November 2002Butler breaks his silence
Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell breaks his silence to explain some of the circumstances which led to the collapse of his theft trial. Mr Burrell said he "never realised" what he told the Queen could clear him.
2 November 2002Trial collapse sparks criticism
Critical questions are being asked about the collapse of the trial, with the spotlight focusing on the CPS investigation and the Queen.
1 November 2002Trial collapses
Paul Burrell was found not guilty on all counts after the prosecution dropped its case when it was revealed that Burrell had previously told the Queen that he was keeping some of Diana's possessions.
Reaction
As questions were raised over whether the case should ever have come to trial, Paul Burrell's father spoke to the BBC about his son's ordeal.
Paul Burrell profile
Paul Burrell was the son of a lorry driver from a Derbyshire mining village. As Princess Diana's butler, Paul Burrell was both a loyal servant and a confidant, who Diana described as her "rock".
24 October: Diana's mother testifies Paul Burrell's case hinged on his closeness to Princess Diana, but in her evidence Diana's mother Frances Shand Kydd said he had misinterpreted his role in the princess's life.
16 October: jury dismissed Just two days after the start of the trial the jury was dismissed after detailed legal argument, though the reasons cannot be published for legal reasons.
14 October: trial begins Paul Burrell went on trial charged with stealing up to 286 items belonging to Diana's estate, 22 belonging to Prince William and four belonging to the Prince of Wales. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
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