Diana's former butler Paul Burrell has put his Farndon home on the market for £475,000 following news that he and wife Maria are getting divorced.

Mr Burrell remains friends with Maria, who lives in the US along with their grown-up sons Alex and Nick, but has apparently joked that the sale of the High Street Georgian property is for his ‘settlement’.

The house is jointly owned by the couple.

Mr Burrell lives in a flat above the flower shop he owns and runs next door.

Former royal butler Paul Burrell, pictured with wife Maria and sons Alex and Nick, in 2007 in front of their old family home which is up for sale.

The Burrells’ four-bed Georgian home, which features two bathrooms, a courtyard and gardens, has been on the market before. In 2004, the house was advertised at £419,950 through a Lower Bridge Street estate agent in Chester but the property was later withdrawn from sale.

In 2008 the three storey property and next door florists was put on the market for £600,000 but again the sale did not materialise.

The house holds both good and bad memories for the family. It was the scene of a raid by police searching for Princess Diana’s belongings ahead of the infamous court case in which Mr Burrell was accused of theft.

However, The Old Bailey trial collapsed after The Queen remembered a conversation with the former butler in which he told her he was hanging on to some of her possessions for ‘safekeeping’.

A statement released in June on behalf of the couple read: “Our clients Paul and Maria Burrell would like to end any speculation over the past few days by confirming that they are currently going through a divorce.

Paul and Maria Burrell's Farndon property is on the market for £475,000.

“The decision to file for divorce was a mutual one, both Paul and Maria remain the best of friends and have two wonderful sons together who remain their priority.

“Paul and Maria will not be giving any further comments and would kindly request that their privacy is respected during this time.”

Mr Burrell was short-listed to be a contestant on the forthcoming series of the BBC’s popular Strictly programme, which starts this Saturday (September 3), but it is believed he was unable to meet the intense demands expected given his other commitments.