'Conform and do as you're told': Diana's ex-butler warns Meghan Markle

Princess Diana's ex-butler, Paul Burrell, has issued a warning to Meghan Markle, comparing her experience to that of the late princess he once served.

Burrell, 60, explained to the UK's Channel 5 that the Duchess must "conform and do as she's told" or risk a possible clash with senior members of the royal family.

The outspoken former butler went on to explain that 37-year-old Meghan is a "strong and independent woman" but warned of the difficulties of joining the "most traditional family in the country".

In the documentary, Kate V Meghan: Princesses at War, Burrell claimed Buckingham Palace is like a "minefield" for anyone new.

Paul and Diana in the weeks before her tragic death. Photo / Getty Images

He explained: "Meghan has been catapulted into the most traditional family in our country, the royal family. How is she going to cope with this? Unlike Princess Diana who was reared in a house as big as Buckingham Palace, she was even lost."

He continued: "Buckingham Palace is a minefield for any person going in there for a first time. People set traps. They weren't very kind to this young girl coming into this world.

"Who would want to be part of that family?" he asked.

Burrel, however, did leave some lasting advice for Meghan, urging her to get to know the Queen because her opinion "mattered the most". He also advised the Duchess needs to remain close to her husband Harry.

Burrell knows the workings of the palace well: he served as a footman for the Queen for many years and later became Diana's butler for 10 years, until her tragic death in 1997.

Paul with one of his books "A Royal Duty". Photo / Getty Images

In the years since her passing, the 60-year-old has often spoken publicly of his connection with the royal family and even published a number of controversial memoirs about his time with them and Diana's private life.