Queen Elizabeth made legal history yesterday when she destroyed the Crown prosecution case against the former butler accused of stealing hundreds of possessions of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Frank Millar, London Editor reports.
And the Old Bailey reverberated to questions of cock-up or conspiracy as the House of Windsor heaved a collective sigh of relief that Mr Paul Burrell - famously described as Diana's "rock" - would not now be entering the witness box to reveal yet more details of the princess's troubled life and times.
Justice is normally done in the British monarch's name. Yesterday it was administered personally as prosecuting counsel Mr William Boyce QC sensationally confirmed that during a three-hour audience he had with the queen shortly after Diana's death, Mr Burrell had mentioned he had taken some of the princess's papers for safe-keeping. The prosecution case was built on the premise that Mr Burrell had never told anyone he was holding on to property belonging to Diana's estate.
Last night the police found themselves in the dock over their failure to make inquiries of Queen Elizabeth about her conversation with the former butler, disclosed to them in a 39-page statement.
Understandable concern that the palace should not be seen to interfere with the conduct of the police investigation meant the queen was not briefed on the preparation of the case. And it was apparently only last Friday that the queen realised the relevance of this information. "The queen has come through for me," declared a tearful and relieved Mr Burrell. And not just for him - as the butler knew only too well.