Diana, Princess of Wales, was condemned by her mother as a disgraceful “whore” who was messing around with Muslim men, the inquest into her death heard today.

Paul Burrell, the Princess’s former butler, told the High Court that he had been allowed to listen into a telephone call where Frances Shand Kydd rounded on her daughter for having a relationship Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani consultant cardiologist.

Mr Burrell repeatedly resisted attempts by Michael Mansfield, QC, counsel for Mohamed Al Fayed, to reveal what the Princess's mother had said during the telephone call in June 1997, saying: “Respectfully, that’s not very kind to a lady who is no longer here."

Mr Mansfield, however, pressed him a number of times, saying: “You do realise this is an important issue for the jury,” as the former butler looked anxious and tapped his pen on the witness box.

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It was only when the coroner, Judge Lord Justice Scott Baker, intervened and said to him: “This is relevant” that Mr Burrell said: “Well she called the Princess a whore and she said that she was messing around with f****** Muslim men and she was disgraceful and said some very nasty things."

It was this telephone conversation, Mr Burrell admitted, that prompted the Princess to sever links with her mother, who has since died.

The exchange came after Mr Burrell was questioned by Mr Mansfield about the Princess’s mother who he said “had expressed herself in extremely forceful terms about Diana’s consorts especially if they were Muslim”.

Earlier, Mr Burrell had said that Diana never wanted to marry Dodi Fayed but had considered a secret marriage to Mr Khan, 48.

The former butler added that, before the couple had split up, there had been plans for the consultant cardiologist to move into the Princess's residence at Kensington Palace.

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