Secrets From Beyond the Grave

Palace shocker! King Charles assigns a trusted aide to sort through the bombshells in Queen Elizabeth II's diaries

Twice a week, somewhere deep inside Buckingham Palace, a retired footman sits at a desk and, with gloved hands, sifts through the late Queen Elizabeth II’s most intimate thoughts. “King Charles has assigned his mother’s most trusted aide, Paul Whybrew, to gather her private papers, including diaries and copies of letters she sent throughout her nine decades, to be preserved for posterity,” says a palace source, adding that the courtier, whom Elizabeth affectionately called “Tall Paul,” is known as her “secret keeper.”

What exactly will be revealed remains to be seen. “Charles knows the papers are full of bombshells, and he’s relying on Paul to make sure some of them never see the light of day,” says a source, noting that the royal family — to the great consternation of historians — has a history of destroying secret documents before they reach the official royal archives. And while the queen’s musings on world events and official duties will no doubt be saved, her thoughts on more private matters — including Charles’ first marriage, to Princess Diana, Princess Kate’s relationship with Prince William, Prince Andrew’s scandals and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exit — “could seriously threaten the monarchy’s image. So the palace definitely doesn’t want certain things made known to the public.”

THE ROYAL VAULT