Royals won't be called to Diana inquest

Neither the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh will be called to give evidence at the Princess Diana inquest.

Mohamed al Fayed had sought to call the Duke of Edinburgh as a witness, and it is also believed that lawyers would have wanted a series of questions put to the Queen.

The Harrods tycoon insists that Diana, his son Dodi and driver Henri Paul were killed in a Paris car crash in August 1997 in a murder plot ordered by Prince Philip.

Mr al Fayed has claimed it was carried out by MI6 on the Duke of Edinburgh's orders because Diana was pregnant by Dodi, a Muslim, and the couple were set to get engaged.

The Coroner, Lord Justice Scott Baker, said: "In my judgement it is not expedient to call the Duke of Edinburgh to give evidence, nor do I think the Queen should be asked to answer the questions posed by Mr (Michael) Mansfield.

"Neither step will, in my judgement, further the inquest process."

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard has said former royal butler Paul Burrell will not be investigated for perjury during the Princess Diana inquest.

The servant-turned-reality-television-star has refused to return to the UK to face allegations that he lied to the jury in his evidence earlier this year despite calls from coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker.

It followed an admission in a secretly recorded conversation in a New York hotel last month that the 49-year-old had not told the "whole truth".

Mr Burrell denies perjury and claims he was drunk and showing off when he was filmed speaking to a television producer.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Any action the Metropolitan Police Service would take around allegations of perjury would not be dealt with until conclusion of the inquests.

"Any decision taken would be in consultation with the Coroner after the jury have reached their verdict."

Lord Justice Scott Baker said he had no power to compel Mr Burrell, who lives in Florida, to return from abroad.

In January, Mr Burrell, who was Diana's butler up until her death in August 1997, faced three days of intense questioning at the High Court.

Confusion focused on a mysterious "secret" Diana referred to in a letter she left for him shortly before her death in 1997.

Although he initially refused to disclose what the secret was, in a note to the coroner he claimed it had simply been about a move abroad to the US or South Africa. Both suggestions had already been aired in court and were widely reported.

But in a conversation with TV producer Paul Khullar - a transcript of which was read in court - Mr Burrell admitted planting "red herrings" in his evidence.

He said: "When you swear an oath you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I told the truth as far as I could but I didn't tell the whole truth."

He went on: "I was very naughty, and I laid a couple of red herrings. I couldn't help but do it, I know you shouldn't play with justice, I know it's illegal, I do know and realise how serious it is."

Mr Burrell admits he made the comments but says he was simply "showing off" after drinking several cocktails, his share of three bottles of wine, a glass of whisky and half a bottle of champagne.

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