It's been five years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from royal life - much has happened in that time. The couple have gone to set up home in a lavish mansion in Montecito, California, and are now all but estranged from The Firm after unleashing a series of attacks on the royals. Such is the extent of the rift, that insiders have suggested there is no way back into the fold for the Sussexes. And now one former staffer has said Harry seems to have forgotten his late mother Princess Diana's teachings.

Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, former royal butler Paul Burrell noted: "Harry and Meghan have a very privileged lifestyle. Harry has always had that and Meghan has long aspired for it. But now they share that lifestyle. "I always circle back to the fact that Harry's mother taught him long ago that the price for a privileged lifestyle is public service. Harry seems to have forgotten this lesson now he lives a celebrity Hollywood lifestyle that's totally different from his royal one.".

Paul, who worked as Princess Diana's butler from 1987 until her death in 1997, further reflected on the backlash the couple have faced - and the impact of Vanity Fair's recent scathing article. "Vanity Fair is a prestigious title so to print such a damning article about Harry and Meghan is quite a precedent," he said. "They're confirming what everybody else suspects and they're listening to the people who are in the know, and don't speculate.

"I take this article as pretty factual. I've never met Meghan myself, but how can so many other people be wrong? It's not possible. I know from firsthand experience how difficult Harry can be. I know how petulant he can be and how spoiled he is, because I've experienced that myself. He's always lived in a bubble.". The scathing 8,000-word article was titled 'American Hustle' and set out what life was like ­'Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Big Business Ambitions, 5 Years After Their Royal Exit'.

It contained troubling claims about what it's allegedly like to work for the Sussexes, complaints from their neighbours in Montecito, and the bombshell allegation that a member of Meghan's team had reached out to a publishing house to "gauge interest" in a post-divorce book . The Times reports that the couple have denied the claims and are 'distressed' by them. But to date, Harry and Meghan have not publicly responded to the article - and that's all for the best, according to one expert. Royal PR expert and former communications secretary to the late Queen, Ailsa Anderson, claimed that the pair's decision to not respond is likely down to the fact that they would "start adding fuel to the fire" if they were to do so.

She told a recent episode of Hello!'s A Right Royal Podcast: "If you start adding fuel to the fire, then you're just elongating a story. So, I think there are times to stand up and be counted, and there are times to say nothing." Ailsa continued: "I think actually they're right. Just let it go and move forward. Otherwise, they'll be creating a story, a further story of their own making.". Get our daily royal round-up direct to your inbox.