'I mummified Diana's world'

Paul Burrell will go on television tonight to tell how he "mummified" Princess Diana's world by hoarding her possessions as he struggled to adjust to her death.

In an interview for ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald, Mr Burrell also confesses that he "aided and abetted" the princess as she succumbed to eating disorders by serving her favourite desserts.

And in a guarded attack on the Prince of Wales, he reveals how an unspoken "divide" between the couple rendered the prince emotionally incapable of helping his wife.

Mr Burrell also repeats his claim in the Daily Mirror that he contemplated suicide in the run-up to his abortive trial because of the "shame" his actions had brought on the princess and his own family.

Explaining his decision to take items from the princess's home into safekeeping, a tearful Mr Burrell says: "What I'd done, in a very odd way, is mummified the princess's world because I hadn't come to terms with [her death]. I had recurring nightmares... my health was deteriorating."

Of the collection of items belonging to the princess, Mr Burrell says: "I thought to myself, 'That is something I can sort out when I'm ready'.

"I hadn't even looked at it. I didn't know what was there. If I had made a museum out of it ... and invited people to come and see it, that would be a different thing altogether."

Describing how the princess "constantly suffered with anorexia and bulimia", Mr Burrell said: "It was distressing, but I knew the routine, I knew the way things happened, and I'd make preparations by preparing custard, rice pudding, or her favourite white chocolate... The underlying factor was I was there to take care of her."

Mr Burrell also focuses on the emotional "division" between the Prince of Wales and his wife. "It's very difficult to know what the prince was thinking," he says. "I think he did see that the princess needed help, she did need to be counselled, and he tried every possible way to reach out, but there was a clear division between the parties and it was not going to happen."

The programme, to be shown at 6.30pm, also features Mr Burrell's video diary of the weeks leading up to his trial.

As the final edit was prepared yesterday, the strain of the past week began to show on the late princess's family. Prince William was photographed looking drawn and suspicious during England's clash with the All Blacks at Twickenham.