Memoirs That Spilled The Royals' Juiciest Secrets

When Princess Diana and King Charles were divorced in 1996, Di let go of almost all of her staff. Paul Burrell, her butler, was one of the few she kept on -- and he was said to be Diana's friend and confidant as much as he was her employee. Because of this, Burrell's 2003 book, "A Royal Duty," reveals a totally different side to Diana.

This royal memoir specifically recalls the princess' state following her divorce from Charles, and, per Burrell's account, she was largely feeling hopeful. At one point, Burell related how excited Diana was about regaining control over her decisions: "There was one more thing. Something she had always talked about.

The one thing she had always wanted at Kensington Palace but felt was not possible. 'And we can get a dog,' she said" (via ABC News). More than adopting a puppy, however, Diana quite possibly dreamed of moving to the United States. Burrell wrote that the princess fantasized about her new life abroad: "We sat there imagining the American lifestyle: The jogs along the beach, the constant sunshine, the sense of freedom." He said that she dreamed of using her platform to help people from around the world.

Apparently, Diana even told him, "We can travel the world, Paul, and seek out all those people who need help." In that sense, Burrell's book paints a portrait of who Diana could have become had she lived past that fateful day in 1997.