By Katherine Tinsley
2:02pm PDT, Sep 25, 2025
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Paul Burrell — who previously worked as Princess Diana's butler — he revealed the code word Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson used for men within the royal fold.
"They would discuss the dour men in grey suits within the Royal Household, nicknamed 'the enemy within,'" Burrell wrote in his latest book, Royal Insider.
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Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson had a close friendship, but things shifted once the Duchess of York published her memoir, My Story.
"Diana, having been in the royal family for five years, was able to offer Sarah some sage advice on the dos and don'ts, whom she could trust, and a rather lengthy list of those with whom she should be cautious," Paul Burrell claimed. "It was tragic that the relationship between them disintegrated after the publication of Sarah's autobiography, My Story, in 1996."
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Once Sarah Ferguson signed a publishing deal with Simon & Schuster, there were rumors she would help secure Princess Diana's memoir with the publisher.
"We are delighted to have this unique opportunity to publish a book in which the Duchess of York describes herself and her experiences as they were, rather than as they have been portrayed,"
Michael Korda, who was the editor-in-chief, said at the time.
"See me right, and I'll get you Di as well," Ferguson promised, according to
Daily Express.
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Author Andrew Lownie alleged in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York that the publisher was willing to pay Sarah Ferguson more money if she could convince Princess Diana to write a book.
"The Di idea just grew out of the discussion. We explained we would expect Fergie to deliver an account of her close friendship with Diana," Lownie said. "She then said maybe she could get Diana to write her own story for us."
