Rock bottom

PRINCESS Diana's treacherous butler Paul Burrell is leading a sordid double life-trawling clubs for gay sex behind his wife's back.

The slimy royal butler is exposed as a secret predatory QUEEN, exploiting palace links to lure a string of gay conquests.

A close pal told us: "I saw him pick up countless men using his royal chat to lure them to bed."

We also caught Burrell in a gay clinch on the video where he admits lying to the Di inquest.

Married Burrell- self-styled "rock" to Princess Di-trawls nightclubs and gyms, spilling intimate tales about his former boss to seduce young men.

The dark truth lurking behind dad-of-two Burrell's 23-year marriage is that he outrageously:

CONFESSED he can't resist gay sex, declaring: "My chemicals are up-I need a man!"

CRUISED steamy gym club saunas, his favourite hangout for homosexual action,

CONCEALED his seedy habits, long-term gay relationships and countless one-night stands from loyal wife Maria,

SEDUCED a male pal of stargazer Russell Grant after they appeared on TV together, and

BOASTED he could pick out a gay man with just one look.

Former flunky Burrell, 49-a multi-millionaire from blabbing royal secrets-is now being hauled back to Britain from his Florida home after admitting he lied to the Diana inquest.

Targets

He could be jailed after being caught on tape bragging he deceived the coroner with "a couple of red herrings".

But a former close confidant told us: "Paul IS a greedy liar, a devious snake. He's also ruthless and selfish. He's always made out that he's this happily-married family man when in reality he's gay and only interested in sex with men.

"He told me he hadn't slept with Maria for years. He's constantly on the lookout for gay pick-ups all over the world.

"And he shamelessly uses his back catalogue of Diana stories to hook his targets. He tells them all sorts about her to get them in the sack.

"His taste is for pretty, younger guys. He'll brag about his wealth and royal connections. There are plenty out there who fall for it."

Burrell has secretly kept up his elaborate hypocritical double life for years. He loves to give the impression of a faithful dad-devoted to 53-year-old Maria and their sons, Alexander, 23, and Nicholas, 19.

In fact, he and Maria have been living apart for ages. While SHE stays at the old family home in Farndon, Cheshire, next door to their florist shop, HE is based 4,000 miles away at their five-bedroom spread in Clermont, Florida.

And he roams the world cashing in on his royal links- picking up a string of gay lovers on the side.

Our source revealed: "I feel so sorry for Maria. She just wanted a normal family life.

"I don't know if she always knew what he was like and pretended it wasn't happening, because when Paul walked through the door of their Cheshire home he seemed a normal husband. But outside he just lusted after men. He told me frankly that he and Maria didn't have a sex life and that he preferred doing it with men.

"Whenever he got the urge he'd say, 'My chemicals are up. I need a man!' At first I was shocked but I got used to it.

"He is so camp. He'd see a man he fancied and his voice would go up as he said, 'Oooh, he's lovely!'

"And he always boasted how he could pick out gay men just by looking at them. Every day he'd set himself the challenge of attracting someone, flirting with a man. He was a ticking gay timebomb at home and at work, just waiting for the moment he could get away and look for men.

"Usually he wanted athletic, young types who were openly camp. But sometimes he'd see a big butch fella, say, 'Oooh, look at him!' and then drool while trying to make eye contact. His favourite hunting grounds, apart from gay clubs, were gyms and hotels.

"Paul used to appear on ITV's This Morning show talking about being a butler and one day astrologer Russell Grant was on too. He had a male friend with him who was obviously gay, a young fair-haired bloke. Paul clearly took a shine to him and they arranged to meet up.

"Paul was excited all day long. Although he was camp most of the time, he really went into overdrive when he got excited. He'd be squealing with anticipation.

"The pair ended up back in Paul's room at a hotel in east London. But there was a break-in at one of the other rooms and the police were called. It meant Paul had to stay locked away there all night-he was terrified of the publicity if he'd been caught in the act.

"It would have totally ruined his image. He was desperate to keep his sexuality a secret from the public. I think he feared it wouldn't go down well in America, where he makes his money flogging his lines of home equipment and wine.

"He boasted how he'd given oral sex to countless men. Sickeningly he even prided himself on being a bit of an expert and bragged about his technique. He reckoned that was his favourite sex of all.

"When Paul was in Los Angeles to appear on The Larry King Show, he stayed at an exclusive Beverly Hills hotel and took a fancy to one of the concierges-a young bloke in his 20s and good looking. They started flirting, swapped notes and arranged to meet at a gay club after the show. When the bloke didn't show up you should have seen how annoyed Paul got."

Several months later King asked if Paul's wife Maria would also appear on his show, so they returned to the States together. Even on that trip Paul desperately tried to pick up men.

Our source revealed: "Paul went to the hotel gym and announced he was going 'cruising' in the sauna.

"He emerged about half an hour later with a really bloodshot eye-the result of a slip-up while giving a man oral sex. He just told Maria that he'd accidentally been poked in the eye!"

At home in Cheshire Burrell used to head for the gym too. Every Tuesday he'd tell Maria he was going for a workout-but in fact he was looking for much kinkier exercise.

Our source said: "He'd leave home with his gym bag on his shoulder but he'd only drive a few miles away to meet his regular boyfriend.

"Again Paul would say to me, 'My chemicals are too much, I need to see him.' But he had problems with that relationship, too. The other guy felt he was just being used for sex.

"He was listed in Paul's mobile phone under a false name so Maria couldn't find out. I often told him he ought to be honest and sort it all out. But he actually enjoyed the secrecy and living on the edge. He couldn't stop himself."

Burrell put the seal on his hypocrisy by dedicating his first book, A Royal Duty, to Maria and their boys.

On the opening page of the prologue he gushed: "Thank you first and foremost my wife, Maria, and my sons, Alexander and Nicholas. We have all shared a traumatic time, and your constant love, support and understanding continue to make me the proudest husband and father."

Now, with Diana's coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker ordering Burrell back to the witness box, he'll need all the support he can get.