‘I worked for the Royal Family – Sarah Ferguson’s one habit left staff up in arms’

Paul Burrell, a former Royal butler, has shared exactly what it was like inside the palace

A former Royal butler has shared the exact action undertaken by Sarah Ferguson which left staff “up in arms.”

The Duchess of York is celebrating her 66th birthday today, after what could be perceived as a tough few weeks for the ex-wife of Prince Andrew.

It was just last month the royal was dropped as the patron of numerous charities after a leaked email between her and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein was leaked.

In the correspondence from it was alleged she called the paedophile a “supreme friend,” just weeks after she said she would never speak to him again.

Now, in a new book, former Royal butler, Paul Burrell, has revealed the Duchess left the staff fuming just shortly after marrying Prince Andrew in 1986.

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Paul shared how Andre was “besotted by his new wife who could “do no wrong” in his latest memoir titled The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana., the Mirror reported.

Yet, discussion tensions, he added: “But the staff were up in arms early in the marriage. From the beginning, the royal newlyweds refused to leave their martial bed.

“The maids weren’t allowed to go into the bedroom to make the bed for days. When the couple did surface, they held lavish dinner, lunch and tea parties with all their friends.”

Paul, who worked under Princess Diana from 1987 to 1997, claimed this caused issues with exhausted staff members who reportedly preferred sticking to set meal times.

He further elaborated: “The kitchen staff were run off their feet. Even the Queen didn’t entertain so extravagantly. The royal chiefs were furious to be making food like it was an á la carte restaurant.

“They were used to serving food to the Queen and the Royal Family at set times. It was too much. The staff rebelled and protests were made to the Master of the Household who informed the Queen of her staff’s unhappiness.

“She had to intervene and put a stop to the lavish gluttony. After all, she despised waste, deciding in advance which food should be cooked for her each day. So why should Andrew and Fergie be different?”

Paul, 67, then claimed Andrew was “never easy” to get along with, especially for the staff members.

The author, who also wrote A Royal Duty, first worked as a footman to Queen Elizabeth before acting as King Charles’ butler. However, he was most famous for being a confidante to Diana.

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And in another part of his new book, he revealed the hilarious two-word nickname staff used for Buckingham Palace.

Referencing a drinking culture inside the palace walls, he wrote: “It wasn’t just bed-hopping that went on in the palaces; there was a degree of inebriation which often helped people’s inhibitions.

“Forget Buckingham Palace, it was nicknamed ‘Gin Palace’ after the spirit that flowed freely through the everyday workings of the building. Gin, always, Gordon’s, was the drink of choice.”