The Death of Princess Diana: What the Investigations Found
Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a Paris car crash in 1997. Murder allegations, most prominently from Mohamed Al Fayed, were examined by a Metropolitan Police inquiry and a British inquest. Paget concluded there was no conspiracy to murder, and the 2008 inquest jury found the deaths were caused by the gross negligence of the driver and the following paparazzi.
Verdict: Debunked. The weight of the evidence cited below contradicts this claim. How we rate stories
The Story
Early on August 31, 1997, a Mercedes carrying Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Al Fayed crashed in the Pont de l'Alma underpass in Paris while being followed by photographers. Diana, Dodi and the driver, Henri Paul, died. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was seriously injured.
Grief quickly turned to suspicion. Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, spent years alleging that the crash was murder arranged by the Establishment and the security services. Other theories pointed to a white Fiat Uno and to claims that Diana was pregnant or about to be engaged.
'There was no conspiracy to murder any of the occupants of the car. This was a tragic accident.' — Operation Paget, 2006
Britain investigated twice. The Metropolitan Police's Operation Paget, reporting in December 2006, examined Al Fayed's claims one by one and concluded the crash was 'a tragic accident.' It found the car was travelling at about twice the speed limit and that the driver had been drinking. It found Diana was not pregnant and not engaged.
Then came a six-month inquest under Lord Justice Scott Baker. In April 2008 the jury returned verdicts of unlawful killing through the gross negligence of the driver and the pursuing paparazzi, and said drink-driving and the lack of seatbelts contributed. Lord Stevens, who had led Operation Paget, said afterward of the jury: 'They have said they are absolutely sure that there is no conspiracy in relation to this matter.' According to the BBC, Mohamed Al Fayed refused to accept the verdict.
Origins
Diana, Dodi Al Fayed and driver Henri Paul died after their Mercedes crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris early on August 31, 1997. According to the Operation Paget report, Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi's father, alleged over the following years that the crash was murder arranged by the 'Establishment,' in particular Prince Philip and the security services.
The Claims
- Mohamed Al Fayed alleged the crash was not an accident but a murder planned by the Establishment and the intelligence services.
- Some claimed Diana was pregnant or about to be engaged, and that this was a motive.
- A white Fiat Uno seen near the tunnel has been tied by some to the security services.
Key Evidence
- In its 2006 report, Operation Paget, led by Lord Stevens, said that on all the evidence available, 'there was no conspiracy to murder any of the occupants of the car. This was a tragic accident.'
- Paget said it was certain Diana was not pregnant, which forensic tests on blood from the car supported, and that according to her friends and associates she was not engaged or about to be.
- Paget found the car struck the kerb at 61 to 63 mph, about twice the speed limit, and that tests showed Henri Paul's blood alcohol was about 1.74 grams per litre, about twice the British drink-drive limit.
- On April 7, 2008, the inquest jury found that Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were unlawfully killed by the 'gross negligence' of Henri Paul and the following paparazzi, by a majority of nine to two. The jury said drink-driving and the lack of seatbelts contributed, according to the BBC.
The Evidence Against
- Paget found a glancing contact with a white Fiat Uno before the tunnel, but was 'completely satisfied' that the car did not belong to, and was not driven by, photographer James Andanson. It found no evidence he was a security service agent.
- According to the BBC, Mohamed Al Fayed did not accept the 2008 verdict. Princes William and Harry said they agreed with it.
Documents & Sources
- Official RecordOperation Paget report overview by Lord Stevens, Dec. 14, 2006 (PDF hosted by BBC) downloads.bbc.co.uk ↗
- NewsPrincess Diana unlawfully killed (BBC News, April 7, 2008) bbc.co.uk ↗
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