A good butler needs many qualities. But above even the ability to starch a napkin, or to cut a diaphanous cucumber sandwich, are "loyalty, respect and discretion", according to Robert Wennekes, chairman of the profession's international guild. Now Britain's reputation for producing the best butlers is shrivelling thanks to the antics of its currently most famous practitioner, Paul Burrell. Once butler to Diana, Princess of Wales, Mr Burrell has made a packet selling a tabloid newspaper an account of her private life, complete with salacious titbits, some of doubtful veracity. He elaborated them in a book published this week.
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