One lay member of the Church of England said yesterday that he would ask the Bishop of Southwark, who officiates over Lord Carey's pastoral responsibilities, to investigate his comments.

It is the first time that a senior clergyman has been accused of breaching guidelines of confidentiality. If found to have broken the rules, Lord Carey could face censure. The draft of the Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of Clergy were drawn up in 2000 and 2001 when Lord Carey headed the Church. He retired in 2002 and the guidelines were finally approved by Synod last year.

The complainant, a London barrister, said that he would write to the Bishop of Southwark tomorrow asking for an investigation. He said: "Carey has forfeited the right to a licence to officiate by breaching the guidelines as published by the Church of England last year - which applies to all priests, irrespective of their status."

David Stancliffe, the Bishop of Salisbury, advised Lord Carey last night to keep silent about his pastoral work. "This [Carey's book] has really cut the ground from under the present Archbishop if he wants to establish a role as pastor to the Royal Family," he said. "If a former church leader cannot keep his counsel, people will ask can they trust their local priest?"

Andrew de Berry, a member of the clergy section of Amicus, the trade union, said that he would support further examination of Lord Carey's comments. "At worst, it is an illustration of betrayal. At best, it is a sad example of 'bless and tell'," he said.

"It is simply not appropriate for the former Archbishop to articulate his observations about confidential discussions he had with Diana. I think Carey has been unwise in dragging up observations he may have had about Diana when she was in absolute tumult. In the circumstances of marital conflict, whoever it is, such discussions have to be treated with absolute confidence."

Lord Carey's autobiography, entitled Know The Truth, compared The Princess of Wales to a fictional, schizophrenic monster when describing their meetings following her divorce from Prince Charles.

"My last meetings with Diana following her divorce revealed a Princess who was determined to go her own way and show the world what she was made of," wrote Lord Carey, 69. "The 'Jekyll and Hyde' sides to her character came out strongly in her deep upset and bitterness about Charles and the divorce which she claimed she never desired yet to which, sadly, she had contributed greatly."

In another passage, Lord Carey described how an ailing Princess Margaret, swollen by medicines, sought comfort from him as she lay ill in bed in Kensington Palace.

Lord Carey also revealed that he met Mrs Parker Bowles after details of her relationship with the Prince of Wales became public.

The Guidelines For The Professional Conduct of The Clergy state that members of the clergy should not pass on details of private conversations to third parties.

"What is said to clergy in confidence must be understood to be confidential at all times. Information may only be divulged with the other parties' informed consent," the guidelines read.

Neither Lord Carey nor the Bishop of Southwark would comment

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