London, Oct 27: The book that Britain's royal family didn't want published hits bookstores Monday after the author shrugged off Princes William and Harry's accusations of a "cold and overt betrayal" of their dead mother, Princess Diana. In a television interview to be broadcast Monday, Diana's former butler Paul Burrell said that "just one phone call" would have stopped him from publishing. Serialized in a British tabloid over the past week, teasing excerpts from Burrell's "A Royal Duty" included a letter written by Diana predicting her own death in a car crash -- 10 months before she was killed in a Paris tunnel.
The excerpts have triggered a heated exchange between the royal family and Burrell, who was Diana's servant, friend and confidant for more than a decade. Many commentators have criticized him for "cashing in" on Diana's memory.
Burrell's book delves into Diana's personal life, the break up of her marriage with Prince Charles and her private correspondence. It has also stirred new controversy over the events surrounding her death, leading some royal-watchers to call for a full British inquiry.
Diana, her lover Dodi al Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul died when their Mercedes crashed at high speed in a tunnel in Paris in August 1997.
Last week, Diana's sons William and Harry issued a stern statement criticizing Burrell and saying: "We cannot believe that Paul, who was entrusted with so much, could abuse his position in such a cold and overt betrayal."

Bureau Report