LONDON, England (CNN) -- Princess Diana's relationships with two Muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother, who called her daughter "a whore", Paul Burrell, the princess's former butler, told an inquest Monday.



Diana once referred to her former butler Paul Burrell as "my rock."



Burrell, who returned to Britain from his home in Florida to give evidence, was the first star witness of the London inquest, now in its fourth month.



His role as confidant to Diana, who died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and hotel security chief Henri Paul, meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated.



Burrell, whom the late princess once called "my rock," cast doubt on whether Diana was ready to marry Fayed. According to Burrell, the princess was still "holding a candle" for former boyfriend and heart surgeon Hasnat Khan -- who she called "her soulmate" -- when she started dating Fayed "on the rebound."



Burrell told the inquest that Diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in June 1997 with her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with Muslim men.  "She called the princess a 'whore' and she said that she was messing around with 'effing Muslim men' and she was 'disgraceful' and said some very nasty things," Burrell said. He agreed that, as a result of such calls Diana, decided not to talk to her mother again.



The inquest, which began in October and is expected to last another two or three months, aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the Princess and Dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise.



Asked earlier in the day if he believed that Fayed was "the one," Burrell said "no, I did not have that impression." He also cast doubt on claims that Fayed and Diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement, saying: "I find that difficult to believe."



Asked to explain himself, Burrell said: "Because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone (Khan) she cared deeply about. I knew that because I was there and I saw it."



Diana's 18-month relationship with Khan ended around the same time she started seeing Fayed in July 1997. Burrell said Diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with Khan might take place, given that Khan is Muslim.  Watch report on claims about Diana's marriage plans. »



Khan had not proposed to the princess, Burrell said, adding that Khan was "the man she loved more than any other." He said he spoke to Diana about the possibility that Fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death.



Burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand, rather than the left, as is customary with engagement rings. "I need marriage like a bad rash," Burrell claimed Diana told him.



Last month at the inquest Lady Annabel Goldsmith, a friend of Diana, said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage "like a rash on my face."



Burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring, as the Fayed family has maintained. Fayed family spokesman Michael Cole testified last week that Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, was certain the couple had planned to marry.



Lawyers at the inquest asked Burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the Monday following the fatal car crash. There has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news, such as an engagement.



But Burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan. He said he had actually looked at Diana's schedule for that day and found only mundane items, and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement.



Burrell also told the inquest he did not believe Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's, husband was involved in
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