Court appearance for Diana's former butler

A former butler to Princess Diana is due in court accused of stealing hundreds of personal possessions from her, Prince Charles and Prince William.

Paul Burrell, 43, of Farndon, Chester, is charged with three counts of theft relating to 342 items said to have been stolen from Kensington Palace.

He was arrested on suspicion of theft in January this year and his home was searched by police.

Since then he has been on bail and has always denied any impropriety, maintaining the items were given to him by his employer.

He is due to appear before magistrates at Bow Street in London.

In all, Burrell is accused of stealing 315 items from Diana's estate, 21 from Prince William and six from Prince Charles.

All the items are alleged to have been stolen on or before June 30, 1998.

Among the items stolen are an "Indiana Jones whip", silver salver and a book on watercolours which Burrell is alleged to have stolen from Prince Charles.

Among the items belonging to Prince William were a dozen cards signed "from Mummy", a Baywatch card signed by actor David Hasselhoff and framed pictures of the young prince with Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington.

There is also a letter from Diana sent to the then Prime Minister John Major in 1993, a letter to Diana from Mother Teresa dated March 1991, various letters from "Charles Spencer" and a notepad detailing mine victims.