Tape Recorded by Princess Diana Reveals Palace Rape
The newspaper says that the rape claims come in secret tape recordings made by the late Princess of Wales at the bedside of thevictim two years before her death in 1997.
According to the newspaper, Prince Charles is said to be deeplyconcerned by the investigations, AFP reported.
He apparently knew about the potential scandal when Diana foundout about it seven years ago. An internal inquiry was carried outbut no further action was taken after the alleged attacker deniedthe claims.
The recordings of the allegations only came to light during theinquiry into Diana's former butler Paul Burrell and the allegedtheft of six million pounds (8.5 million dollars) of property which belonged to the princess. The newspaper reports that Diana, without her ex-husband's knowledge, visited a male member of St James's Palace staff who wason sick leave.
During the visit, she taped the allegation that he had been raped while serving as a member of the palace staff with a taperecorded hidden in her bag.
The victim left the royal household shortly after.
However, according to the tabloid ***Mail on Sunday***, the man has been interviewed twice in as many weeks by specially trained metropolitan police officers in a "rape suite".
Diana was accompanied on the visit by Victoria Mendham, secretary to the princess' private secretary Patrick Jephson. The newspaper says Mendham acknowledged the tapes when approached by journalists but refused to comment further.
A palace spokesman refused to comment on "anything to do with employees."
However, a police spokeswoman said: "The metropolitan police isinvestigating an allegation of serious sexual assault. It would beinappropriate to comment any further."
The allegations resurfaced during a police investigation intoBurrell, who has been on bail since January.
He has always maintained that items found by police in a searchof his home were personal gifts from Diana.