Serving the Queen Was an Honor — But a Royal Rule Left Her Former Butler Extremely 'Nervous'
Paul Burrell reveals how one strict rule made serving Queen Elizabeth II almost unbearable, until she showed her softer side.
Palace life has always appeared well-oiled from the outside, glittering gowns, massive state banquets with exquisite crockery, and fresh flowers in every nook. Shows like The Crown have only reinforced that image of seamless order. But, for the staff who kept the Palace machine running, the job came with rules so strict that it could 'rattle' even the most confident. Former royal butler Paul Burrell recently confessed that one rule in particular left him especially 'nervous' in his early days working for Queen Elizabeth.
In his new memoir, The Royal Insider: My Life With The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana, Burrell talks about what it was like stepping into the role as a young member of the royal household. Far from being trusted with grand dinners or major ceremonies, his first responsibilities were modest. “I had progressed beyond empty cups to potatoes and gravy,” he recalled of those early tasks.
But alongside the duties came one very strict rule. The staff were specifically told to never look the late monarch in the eye. “We were always told never to look at The Queen or to stare at her, never look her in the eye, always look down,” Burrell explained. Burrell was eager to prove himself, and this added an extra layer of nervousness, he says.
He recounted how that added pressure came to a peak during one incident. Carrying a silver tray, Burrell found himself handling far more. “I was carrying a silver tray with 20 Royal Worcester coffee cups, saucers, and gilt spoons,” he wrote. The fear of making a mistake, combined with the rule about avoiding eye contact, quickly got him tense. “Then my nerves got the better of me, and the cups and saucers all started to rattle.”
The sound he says still stands out in his memory. “I will never forget the noise. All I had to do was stand behind The Queen, and the pages would come to me and collect the cups.” But instead of blending quietly into the background, as he was meant to, Burrell caught the late Queen's attention as the porcelain clattered loudly on the tray. “The rattling was so loud that the monarch turned around to look at what the commotion was,” he shared. At that moment, he feared he might have ruined everything. A new butler, failing to keep his composure in front of the Queen, could easily have been scolded or dismissed. Instead, the response he received was entirely different. According to Manchester Evening News, “The Queen simply smiled back.”
That small act of kindness eased the tension and gave Burrell the confidence to carry on. He later worked closely with not only Queen Elizabeth, but also Princess Diana, eventually becoming one of her most loyal aides. Looking back, Burrell acknowledged how intimidating those first months in the Palace could feel. The environment demanded absolute precision, where even the smallest misstep seemed magnified.
