Former royal butler Paul Burrell claims Princess Diana would have loved Meghan Markle even though she represents everything the royal family is ‘frightened of’.

Mr Burrell, who lives in Peckforton but runs a flower shop in Farndon , believes the royals need to embrace what Meghan stands for if they are to move forward.

The late Princess Diana’s butler is understood to been among the 100,000 well-wishers in Windsor on the day Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex wave as they leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House, hosted by the Prince of Wales. (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

He told Good Morning Britain: “She is all of the things that the royal family is frightened off.

“She’s mixed race, she’s American, she’s a divorcee and that is everything that we have to embrace to move forward.”

Mr Burrell also said that Diana would have ‘loved’ Meghan, before adding: “There will be ripples in the royal pond, yes there will, and things will happen but I think she’s steady, she’s solid, she’s a good person to enter the royal family.

“She’s served her apprenticeship in Hollywood on that stage, now she’s entered the world stage and joined the cast of the biggest soap opera on the world.”

Princess Diana's visit to Bosnia in August 1997, pictured in the background is Paul Burrell (158)
Princess Diana's visit to Bosnia in August 1997, pictured in the background is Paul Burrell

The fact Meghan is an American and a divorcee has echoes of the 1936 abdication crisis but how times have changed.

The Queen became the heir to the throne after her uncle, Edward VIII, decided to abdicate because he was in love with American Wallis Simpson, a divorcee, and was not allowed to marry her.

It is estimated 1.9 billion people watched the royal wedding on TV across the globe.