Former royal butler Paul Burrel said there is ‘no way back’ for Prince Harry as ‘too much has been said’, so Prince William has ‘drawn a line in the sand and has had enough’

Prince Harry thought he could “step in” to help the Royal Family during a period of crisis but his brother Prince William “has had enough” and has “drawn a line in the sand”, a former royal butler has said.

Royals have faced a difficult start to the year with the Princess of Wales and King Charles forced to take a step back from their duties due to health issues. Paul Burrell said it appears that “things are changing” in the family and they “can’t keep going” at the same pace.

The former royal butler said the “only person” who can save the family is “stoic” and “reliable” Princess Anne, who is often referred to as the hardest-working royal. Paul added that the “natural” replacement for King Charles would have been William and Kate, but as she takes time out, the Prince of Wales was “too tied up” with his family.

He also said that there is “no place” for the Duke of Sussex in the royal fold as “too much has been said” since he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US. According to the former butler, Harry probably believed there was a possibility for him to “put on a uniform and do a few jobs for William and Charles” – because his brother no longer trusts him.

Mr Burrell also pointed out that the late Queen Elizabeth had made it clear to Harry that it would not be fair to still work while living in another country. Speaking to Slingo, Mr Burrell said: “There is no place for Harry in the royal fold. He has made his bed and now he has to lie in it. Too much has been said. The drawbridge is up and there is no way back for Harry.

“In his own mind and his world, I think he thought it was a possibility, now the family is in crisis, that he could step in, put on a uniform and do a few jobs for William and Charles, but it is not possible in the Royal Family’s eyes, or the public’s eyes. It sends the wrong message and William does not want any confusion going forward.

“William has drawn a line in the sand and has had enough so Harry will forever be the outcast Prince of his own making. There is no way back. Harry thought he could have one foot in the camp and one foot out, but the late Queen made it quite clear to him that that was not fair and it would not work and will never be the case. His job as a member of the Royal Family is over.”

Talking about Princess Anne, Mr Burrell said she is “everything the Royal Family need”, adding her work ethic is the same as her father’s, Prince Philip. He said: “I think the only person that can save the monarchy is Princess Anne. William is too tied up with his family: he likes to be very hands-on which he inherited from Princess Diana. Princess Anne will be ‘Anne the reliable’.

“She is even stepping in for William and the King. She is a workhorse, she is stoic, she is reliable, she is everything the Royal Family need and she is her father’s daughter. His work ethic was the same. He never veered away from anything and always hit things straight on.

Princess Anne may rely on the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who are very responsible too but everybody knows Princess Anne, she has always been there. She can hold the fort in any crisis so for the time being her workload is increasing which she doesn’t mind. She just gets on with it.”