Britain:Diana, Princess of Wales's blossoming relationship with her new love Dodi al-Fayed left Queen Elizabeth "concerned" as the couple grew closer, the inquest on Diana was told yesterday.
A whirlwind romance brought the "playboy" and the princess together but it is claimed their deepening feelings left the queen troubled about the future.
The queen made her thoughts known to butler Paul Burrell, he claims, in a private meeting at Buckingham Palace just weeks after the couple were killed in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
He told the inquest: "Her majesty was concerned that the princess was rather over-excited."
Ian Croxford QC, for the Ritz Hotel, Paris, asked: "She [Diana] was at the start of a long-term union with Dodi al-Fayed. What did her majesty say about this long-term union?" The former butler said: "Her majesty was concerned about the future."
"About a marriage?" asked Mr Croxford. Mr Burrell replied: "No, the queen did not mention that."
"A long-term union, is that the expression she used?" Mr Burrell replied: "A relationship."
Diana's romance with Dodi was something the establishment would have viewed as "an alliance made in hell," the court was told by Michael Mansfield QC, representing Mohamed al-Fayed.
The lawyer also said the Duke of Edinburgh had called the princess's boyfriend an "oily bedhopper," but the ex-royal aide suggested it was unlikely Prince Philip had said those words.
Meanwhile, a BBC Newsnightdiscussion planned for last night about the merits of the Diana inquest caused concern after lawyers in the case warned it could prejudice the proceedings.
But when coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker referred the matter to attorney general Baroness Scotland for her consideration, the issue was examined but no action taken.
Mr Burrell, who spent three days in the witness box, denied a claim he asked the queen outright if "they" killed Diana. Two of Diana friends had claimed that Mr Burrell told them he had asked the queen the question and that she had replied something like "we cannot awake forces we don't know". However, Mr Burrell denied this exchange ever happened.
He also claimed that Diana feared that her former husband, Prince Charles, would be murdered. "She did believe that Prince Charles might be attacked one day."
- (PA)