Queen Elizabeth intervenes in the trial of Paul Burrell

The trial of Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell on charges of theft collapsed on 1st November 2002 after the dramatic intervention of Queen Elizabeth. Mr Burrell had been accused of stealing property belonging to Diana's estate and to Prince Charles and Prince William.

Paul Burrell left the court as an innocent man. The Queen confirmed that Mr Burrell had told her in a private conversation after the princess's death that he had kept some of the princess's possessions for safekeeping - according to prosecution barrister William Boyce QC.

It emerged that the Queen only realised once the case had started that her evidence might be relevant. She met the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales and steps were then taken to bring the information to the attention of the police.

Mr Boyce told the court: "During a discussion last Friday between the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, the Prince of Wales learned about the information.

"The prosecution has therefore reviewed the evidence and information that would be available should there be consideration of a retrial. Having carried out that review, the prosecution have formed the view that there would no longer be a realistic prospect of conviction in this case, and, therefore, that the only appropriate course is to offer no further evidence against Mr Burrell and to invite the court to direct that verdicts of not guilty should be entered in this case."

Mr Burrell hugged his barrister Lord Carlile QC and sobbed uncontrollably when he realised the trial at the Old Bailey was being aborted. The trial judge Mrs Justice Rafferty discharged the jury in its absence in the third week of the trial and told Mr Burrell he was free to go.

Paul Burrell had informed the police of the conversation with Queen Elizabeth and this was in his signed police statement - although this did not include what he had told the Queen. Mr Burrell may not have informed his defence team of the details of the conversation. If he had done so they might have advised him not to include the details of the conversation in the police statement as the conversation only referred to papers, not the other items he had taken. He might then have been charged of the theft of these other items.

It has also emerged that that the police told Prince Charles and Prince William that they had evidence that Mr Burrell had sold Diana's possessions to dealers abroad and that an "independent source" had shown police photographs of staff members at a party dressing up in clothing belonging to the Princess of Wales. In court, the police confessed they had no such evidence.

There is now speculation that the royal family intervened in the case to stop further damaging revelations when Mr Burrell took the witness stand. The mother of Diana Princess of Wales, Frances Shand Kydd, had already been forced to confess she had not spoken to Diana in the last four months of her life due to a family tiff. She also said she had shredded some of Diana's papers after her death. Was this the reason Mr Burrell took other papers away? A policeman also told the court that Diana had kept a signet ring from James Hewitt.

The News of the World reported that Prince William also knew of the conversation between the Queen and Mr Burrell. A spokeswoman for St James's Palace said: "Prince William knew about the meeting between the Queen and Paul Burrell. He did not pass on that information to the police and didn't know anything about what was said." It is understood he did not know what the conversaton was about.

But it is understood he confided his knowledge to at least one senior royal adviser only to be told: "Let this be our little secret, William."

Andrew Shaw, Mr Burrell’s solicitor, also wrote to the Queen expressing his concern about the case but his request for a meeting with Sir Henry Boyd-Carpenter, her solicitor, was rebuffed. Prince Charles appears to have been concerned enough to have arranged a meeting with Mr Burrell. But a polo accident caused that encounter to be postponed and Prince Charles was not concerned enough to pursue it further.

When the Burrell trial collapsed, officials at Buckingham Palace said the Queen had not been given any information from police about the case. Just 24 hours later, palace oficials then admitted she was told in early 2001 about the police investigation by her most senior official, Sir Robin Janvrin. But Sir Robin had no idea about the Queen's meeting in 1997 with Mr Burrell because the Queen did not tell him.

The trial cost British taxpayers about £1.5 million.