Former royal butler Paul Burrell is most famously known for being Princess Diana's aide and close friend of 10 years. But his own private life has been as tumultuous as that of his boss, with Paul's marriage imploding after three decades when he came out as gay.
It's believed Diana was the only person Paul confided in about his sexuality before sharing the life-changing news with wife Maria and two sons. In 2017, Paul told the Mirror: "Myself and Maria have been to hell and back. Our marriage lasted 32 years, and I still want to be there for her."
Revealing how she reacted to news of his engagement to boyfriend Graham Cooper, who he wed in 2017, he the moment was both painful and emotional. "We cried, when I told Maria I was marrying Graham," he said.
"And she said, 'Does that mean we'll never be together as a family again?' I said, 'No, it doesn't mean that'. She said, 'You could lose your sons. You'll lose them because they won't understand,' but she was wrong."
He said Maria had asked: "Will we never wake up on Christmas morning and open our stockings together?" To which Paul told her: "No, it doesn't mean that. It's a different chapter. I want you to be happy for me. I love you. You have to set me free."
Paul began seeing Graham a decade before he came out to his sons. They passed each other on the train and Paul instantly knew he was "the one". In the decade that he kept his romance with Graham a secret, Paul went to extraordinary lengths to avoid speculation - even walking a few steps in front of his lover so they wouldn't be seen together.
He said he almost revealed his sexuality on I'm A Celebrity, but said: "This was the perfect opportunity to tell the world, but I wasn't in the right place." "It broke my heart to have to sit down and discuss my sexuality with my two children," Paul explained.
"Then I had to suffer the indignity of questions, 'Did I love their mother when they were born?' And because I loved her, it really was heart-wrenching to have to do that."
He said it was an "emotional rollercoaster" and he was very worried about telling his family, as he thought they would be unhappy with the news. But their emotional strength "surprised" him and both sons promised to attend the wedding in the Lake District in 2017.
"It's time to open another chapter, and I hope that the last 20 years, this emotional roller-coaster of mine, will actually end very happily," Paul said before the big day. He added: "So all you dads out there who may be struggling in the same way that I did, believe that there is hope and a happy ending for you too.
"Be honest with your family, sit down, explain to them every step of the way, you won't lose them. I was afraid I might lose my family but you don't in the end. If you have children, you'll always be their dad and you'll always be connected to the mother of your children, so have faith in that and know that if you build it that way it'll be strong and you can be like an extended family."
Paul coined it the "beginning of a new life" and felt proud of being able to stand publicly with his partner and lover.