Diana Inquest: How & Why Did Diana Die?

By John Morgan

Princess Diana survived the 12.23 a.m. crash in Paris - witness and photographic evidence clearly showed she was alive, conscious and talking in the back of the Mercedes. Yet just after 4 a.m. Diana was pronounced dead. What occurred in the intervening 31⁄2 hours that brought on her premature death? Are there people who should be held accountable for what occurred on that final tragic night? Based on the evidence heard during the inquest, The Untold Story reveals to the public for the first time the minute by minute events that were occurring both inside and outside Diana's ambulance. It establishes the surprising truth of precisely what led to Diana being virtually dead when she finally arrived at the hospital at 2.06 a.m. - 1 hour and 43 minutes after the crash. This 2nd volume of The Untold Story reveals the evidence that the 2008 inquest heard regarding medical treatment and motives and finally answers the two most important questions regarding Princess Diana's death: How and Why?

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Morgan
• Release date: Apr 23, 2015

Book preview

SECTION ONE: POSSIBLE MOTIVES

In early April 2008, when the Diana inquest jury retired to consider the verdict, central to their thinking should have been one very important question: Was there a realistic motive that explains why some person or persons would have been seeking to assassinate Diana, Princess of Wales?

Coroner: Summing Up: 31 Mar 08: 55.4:

Whatever you may think about motives or alleged hostility to Diana, they cannot be used to prove anything – that something untoward happened on that night in Paris.

Part 1 has already shown that something untoward did happen on that night in Paris.

The question now is: Why?

Why was a plan put in motion to assassinate Princess Diana in the Alma Tunnel, Paris on 31 August 1997?

It is very significant that the French investigation ignored any evidence regarding motives for murder, and did not question any witnesses in detail on issues such as the relationship, engagement, pregnancy and landmines. This has resulted in the earliest witness accounts being taken by the British police, at least seven years after the crash. By that stage witnesses had a significantly dimmer recall of events than what should have been.

Why weren’t witness statements on these critical issues taken in 1997, soon after the crash?

Timeline of Events

1997

July

11 - Diana, William and Harry travel to St Tropez for a 10 day holiday with the Al Fayed family

14 - Dodi joins the group in St Tropez

18 - Camilla’s 50th birthday party is held at Highgrove

20 - Diana, William and Harry return to London from St Tropez

21 to 23 - Diana and Dodi share significant periods of time together, including visits to Dodi’s apartment and a private movie viewing ¹¹

24 - Diana visits her sister Sarah and stays for 2 nights

26 - Diana visits Paris with Dodi

27 - Diana and Dodi return to London

28 - Diana visits her sister Jane, with William and Harry – see note¹²

29 - Diana meets with Hasnat¹³ in Battersea Park

30 - Diana breaks off her relationship with Hasnat at Kensington Palace

31 - Diana travels with Dodi to Nice and they board the Jonikal commencing a 7 day holiday, cruising the French and Italian Mediterranean

August

5 - Diana and Dodi go ashore at Monte Carlo

6 - Diana and Dodi return to London

7 - Daily Mirror breaks story linking Diana and Dodi in a relationship

Diana shares dinner with Dodi at his Park Lane apartment – she arrives home after 1 a.m.

8 - Diana travels to Bosnia on a 3 day anti-landmine campaign trip. She communicates with Dodi regularly by satellite mobile phone.

10 - Diana returns to London from Bosnia

The Kiss photo is published by the Sunday Mirror

Diana and Dodi travel to Mohamed’s Oxted estate. They stay overnight.

11 - Diana and Dodi return to London from Oxted

12 - Diana travels again with Dodi to Oxted, where they stay two nights

13 - Diana and Dodi travel from Oxted by helicopter to see psychic counsellor Rita Rogers. They later return to Oxted.

Diana gives Dodi her father’s cufflinks

14 - Diana and Dodi return to London from Oxted. They share dinner at Dodi’s apartment before attending a private pre-release screening of the movie Air Force One.

15 - Diana flies to Greece with Rosa Monckton, commencing a 6 day holiday sailing around the Greek Islands

20 - Diana returns to London, and visits Dodi’s apartment

21 - Diana meets with her local Anglican priest¹⁴, then goes to her gym, visits her Chinese doctor, before later spending time at Dodi’s apartment

22 - Diana and Dodi commence a 9 day holiday aboard the Jonikal in the Mediterranean

23 - Diana and Dodi go ashore at Monte Carlo

30 - Diana and Dodi fly from Sardinia to Paris, landing at Le Bourget Airport at 3.20 p.m.

31 - Crash occurs at 12.23 a.m. in the Alma Tunnel, Paris

1: Diana and Dodi Relationship

Coroner: Summing Up: 31 Mar 08: 91.24:

There is a wealth of evidence from Diana’s friends and others in which discussions with Diana are referred to, and opinions expressed about her relationship with Dodi. I shall come to it shortly. But before I come to it, let’s pause and ask: what does the answer matter in the grand scheme of the case?

Throughout July and August 1997 a relationship rapidly developed between Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed. Their paths initially merged on July 14¹⁵ in the south of France, but the relationship was tragically snuffed out by their deaths in a car crash in Paris’ Alma Tunnel at 12.23 a.m. on 31 August 1997 – just 7 short weeks after their initial meeting.

During this 7 week period, Diana and Dodi had managed to share three separate holidays in the south of France and Mediterranean area, mostly aboard Dodi’s father Mohamed Al Fayed’s luxury yacht, the Jonikal.

Inquest Chronology Errors

On the second day of the inquest, 3 October 2007, a written statement from Mark Hodges, a former Detective Chief Inspector of the MPS¹⁶, was read out. He stated: The purpose of this statement is to set out the factual background to these inquests, from the beginning of [Diana and Dodi’s] relationship that summer up to the moment they left the Ritz Hotel in Paris for the final time.

That written factual account contained several factual errors:

1. At 89.18: Dodi Al Fayed spent the time between 8th and 20th August in Paris and Los Angeles.

Coroner: Opening Remarks: 2 Oct 07: 38.19:

On Friday 8th August, Diana flew to Bosnia to support the United Nations Landmines Campaign.... She returned to London on Sunday 10th August. Then, on 15th August, Diana flew to Greece with her friend, Rosa Monckton. They sailed on a small boat cruising the Greek Islands until 20th August, when she returned to England. Meanwhile, Dodi had been in Los Angeles.

Coroner: Summing Up: 1 Apr 08: 81.22:

Included in a short section dealing with a summary of Diana and Dodi’s movements ¹⁷: "They first cruised on the Jonikal between 31st July and 6th August. Thereafter Dodi spent some time in the United States and Diana had two foreign trips, the first to Bosnia from 8th to 10th August in connection with the landmines campaign and, the second, a holiday with Rosa Monckton in Greece between 15th and 20th August. The second cruise on the Jonikal began on 22nd August."

Rene Delorm, Dodi’s Butler: 1998 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

"The Princess would be returning to London from Bosnia that day [10 August 1997], and Dodi wanted to take her immediately to his father’s estate in Oxted.... On our first night [in Oxted] I set a beautiful table at the edge of the garden.... As I served the meal and later took away the plates, Dodi and the Princess continued talking non-stop. And long after ... they remained deeply engrossed in their conversation.... Finally at midnight ... they picked up their drinks and walked arm in arm into the house....

"We stayed at Oxted only that one night, then returned to London. But a couple of days later [August 12], we repeated the trip. Obviously, it was a great deal easier for Dodi and the Princess to enjoy their privacy at the countryside mansion than in London, where the paparazzi had staked out their homes....

"The following day [August 13]¹⁸ the two of them took the helicopter and went off on some sort of adventure... Later I found out that Diana wanted Dodi to meet her adviser, Rita Rogers, in Derbyshire....

"The next day [August 14] Dodi announced that it was time to leave his father’s mansion and head back to London....

"When we got back to Park Lane, Dodi informed me that the Princess would be joining him for dinner that night.... Dinner had to be finished by ten, Dodi instructed, because he was planning on taking the Princess to a private screening of Air Force One.... The Princess in particular really loved it." ¹⁹

Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi’s Bodyguard: 2000 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

"Rene Delorm ... was called to come over from Paris and arrived the same day [August 10]. It was clear that the couple would, increasingly, be eating in.... Dodi had devised a plan to whisk the Princess to the Fayeds’ Surrey estate at Oxted as soon as she returned from Bosnia. By late afternoon on 10 August, the couple, Trevor and Rene were travelling around the M25 to the doors of the estate....

"The pull of privacy and romance was so strong that Dodi and the Princess soon returned.... As [Trevor] and Dodi arrived at the Battersea heliport to meet with the Princess and fly to Oxted, Trevor was told the plans had changed. The couple were going somewhere else first and [Trevor] was excluded from the trip.... In fact, Diana was taking Dodi to visit Diana’s psychic, Rita Rogers, in Derbyshire....

"Butler and bodyguard shared the pleasure of a clean escape from Oxted next day, as they switched the couple to the Toyota van ... and tricked the press momentarily as they exited the estate....

"That night the couple went to a screening of the Harrison Ford film Air Force One." ²⁰

Comment: Both Baker and Hodges made the false claim that Dodi and Diana did not see each other in the UK between 8 and 20 August 1997.

The evidence from the people who were there and are still alive – Delorm, Rees-Jones – is quite the opposite. The couple not only saw each other, but were involved in a strengthening romantic relationship. That fact is brought out more clearly in the full text of the above quoted sections of the two books, but not included here for lack of space.

The evidence reveals that throughout August – see Timeline of Events above – the two lovers were spending as much free time as they could with each other.²¹ This is a fact that the inquest jury were prevented from hearing – instead they were told the opposite from Baker and Hodges.

I suggest that this is most unlikely to be an innocent mistake. Baker states it first in his Opening Remarks on October 2, Hodges reinforces the perception the following day and Baker cements it at the end of the inquest in his Summing Up – where he even takes it further and indicates that they didn’t see each other between the two cruises, the 6th to the 22nd of August.²²

Hodges makes a definite written statement: Dodi Al Fayed spent the time between 8th and 20th August in Paris and Los Angeles – yet he does not have evidence to support it. There is only evidence of Dodi making a trip to Los Angeles while Diana was in Greece, between August 15 and 20.²³ There is no evidence at all of Dodi being in Paris during that period from August 8 to 20.

Hodges was deeply involved as a senior officer in the Paget investigation and it is hard to believe that he didn’t have a full understanding of the chronology and events that occurred. During the inquest Hodges was presented as the police expert on the chronology and his statement was the factual authority on that subject.

The period between August 10 and 15 was a critical time in the consolidation of Diana and Dodi’s blossoming relationship. In early August they had enjoyed their initial six day cruise, with just the two of them together. This mid-August period strengthened their bond, ahead of their final cruise which commenced on August 22.

The effect of the statements made by Baker and Hodges was to remove this period from the jury’s calculations – yet they were still expected to determine the actual strength of the Diana-Dodi relationship prior to their deaths.

2. At 90.6: Describing the final cruise: Occasionally the yacht was followed by press photographers on smaller boats....

Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi’s Bodyguard: 2000 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

"The Jonikal would never be without company. A relentless shadow fleet of press boats would follow them, small rented powerboats that would dog them like the albatross." ²⁴

Rene Delorm, Dodi’s Butler: 1998 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

The paparazzi stalked us day and night. A boatload of them trailed in our wake no matter where we went.... ²⁵ And: During this voyage [the paparazzi] dogged us mercilessly.... Their huge telephoto lenses were constantly trained on our vessel, in the same way that a hunter lines up crosshairs on his prey. ²⁶

Comment: The paparazzi pursuit of Diana and Dodi on their final Mediterranean cruise is extremely well documented, including in media reports from the time. It played a role in the build-up of tension between the paparazzi (and fake paparazzi) and the couple after they travelled to Paris on 30 August 1997 – see Part 1.

Because this paparazzi pursuit is so heavily recorded, it is really quite incredible that Hodges should claim that there was only an occasional paparazzi involvement.

3. At 90.12: "This second cruise aboard the Jonikal ended on Saturday 23rd August."

Comment: This statement is clearly out by a week. The second and final cruise finished on 30 August 1997, when Diana and Dodi left the Jonikal in Sardinia to fly to Paris – the crash occurred after midnight that night.

This also is well documented.

4. At 91.3: Referring to the arrival of the couple at Le Bourget Airport in Paris: Henri Paul was waiting at the wheel of a Range Rover.

Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi’s Bodyguard: 2000 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

Dodi walked directly up to [Henri Paul], shook hands and chatted. ²⁷

Rene Delorm, Dodi’s Butler: 1998 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

We wanted to get out of the plane and into the cars as fast as possible.... [Dodi] stopped to talk to a heavy-set, balding man in a gray suit and dark glasses.... It was Henri Paul.

Comment: Hodges creates, for the jury, a vision of Henri Paul playing a passive role – sitting in the car as a driver, waiting for the arrival of the couple.

TV footage and photos of the arrival show Henri standing outside the plane waiting for the passengers to disembark.²⁸ They also provide evidence of a conversation taking place between Dodi and Henri, with both standing outside of their vehicles.²⁹

This error becomes significant in the light of the evidence provided in Part 1: Henri Paul played a critical role in the events of that weekend, and his involvement in the proceedings at the airport was far from passive.

Diana’s Friendship with Mohamed

Prior to the shared family holiday in July 1997, Princess Diana had a long-standing friendship with Mohamed Al Fayed.

Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi’s Father: 18 Feb 08: 182.16:

Mansfield: Q. Your relationship with Princess Diana, is this right, goes back to the mid to late 1980s, is that right?

A. That is right.

Princess Diana: 11 June 97 Letter to Mohamed Al Fayed read out 18 Feb 08: 189.1:

Dear Mohamed, A very special thank you indeed for inviting the boys and I to stay in France next month. Needless to say we are greatly looking forward to it all and we are so grateful to you for giving us this opportunity.... I know we will speak soon, but until then, my love to you all, Diana.

Raine Spencer, Diana’s Stepmother: 12 Dec 07: 12.7:

Diana also went to Harrods endlessly.... I know she used to see Mohamed quite a lot there....

Michael Cole, Director of Public Affairs, Harrods: 10 Jan 08: 158.3:

Mansfield: Q. [Your statement]: The Princess had known Mr and Mrs Al Fayed for many years.... Diana, Princess of Wales was always on good terms with Mr Mohamed Al Fayed. It was clear to me that she enjoyed his company and good humour.... The Princess herself had known Mohamed and his family for many years before the relationship struck up with Dodi?

A. Absolutely.

Q. And that she regularly had contact with Mohamed, this was not occasional, it was regular?

A.... She came regularly into the [Harrods] store.... She would often go in to see him and quite often I was asked in to see her when she was there.... It was a very easygoing relationship that she had with Mohamed.

Q.... In December of 1996, she held a Christmas lunch party at Harrods. Do you remember that?

A. That was for her domestic staff.

Q. Right. Having done so, and I’m going to suggest this happens every time, she was very prompt and very affectionate in the letters of thanks personally to Mohamed on each occasion anything like this happened. Is that right?

A. Absolutely.

Paul Burrell, Diana’s Butler: 14 Jan 08: 22.11:

Burnett: Q. In the time immediately following that [July 1997] holiday ... were you aware of any further contact between Mr Al Fayed Senior ... and the Princess?

A. Well, I went on several occasions with the Princess to Harrods and it was customary for the Princess to be dropped off on the other side of the road and go into Harrods underground. So I would wait for her in her car. So she did spend quite some time visiting Harrods.

....Q. Did she tell you anything about what happened during her visits to Harrods? Did she meet Mr Al Fayed, for example?

A. Absolutely, always. Mr Al Fayed is a very kind man and he did extend to her some wonderful privileges and she did visit him in his office on the fourth or fifth floor every time she visited.

Q. Did Mr Al Fayed, for example, make gifts to the Princess and also to the Princes?

A. Yes. The Princess had a Harrods card, a credit card, and deliveries were made very regularly to Kensington Palace by Harrods' coach and horses.

Q. I see. What sort of gifts were given to the boys?

A. I remember vividly two plasma screen TVs arriving one afternoon for William and Harry and the latest game stations.

At 16 Jan 08: 28.17: Mansfield: Q. [Mohamed] had been very supportive of various projects that she had been interested in in the past?

A. Yes.

Q. Ballet and so on. We have heard about them.

A. Absolutely, and they formed a good friendship.

Michael Gibbins, Diana’s Private Secretary: 21 Nov 07: 15.16:

Mansfield: Q. Now is it right to say that you were aware at that time that there had been a closeness between the Princess and the Al Fayed family?

A. It depends what you mean by closeness, but I was aware that they knew each other, let’s put it that way.

Q. I am using your word, you see. That is why I am putting it to you. Do you recall, this is how you put it in a statement to the police in 2004: I was aware that there was a certain closeness between the Princess and the Al Fayeds. Is that right?

A. I do not disagree with that.

Sarah McCorquodale, Diana’s Sister: 28 Jan 08: 176.12:

Mansfield: Q. She had a long-standing relationship with Mohamed Al Fayed, didn’t she?

A. Yes.

Q. I mean you did know this, that she often went to Harrods; yes?

A. Yes.

At 176.25: Q. She would be going to Harrods quite regularly; you knew that?

A. No.

Q. You didn’t know that?

A. No. I didn’t know it or I didn’t not know it.

Comment: The general evidence from the witnesses was that Princess Diana and Mohamed Al Fayed had a friendship that had extended over a period of around 10 years.

The evidence that could be taken to conflict with that impression came from Sarah McCorquodale and Michael Gibbins – both of whose evidence conflicted with their own statements.

This book will later show that at the inquest McCorquodale proved herself to be an unreliable witness. Gibbins’ evidence was shown by Mansfield to be conflicting with his earlier statement: in 2004 he was aware of closeness whereas initially in 2007 he wasn’t.

There was also witness evidence that Mohamed sponsored a variety of Diana’s charitable activities – see later.

Family Holiday: St Tropez July 1997

From 11 to 20 July 1997 Diana, William and Harry joined the Al Fayed family for a summer holiday at St Tropez, in the south of France. Dodi joined the group on July 14.

Princess Diana: 21 Jul 97 Letter to Mohamed :Al Fayed read out 18 Feb 08: 190.2:

"Dearest Mohamed.... Thank you both so much for an enjoyable week in France. I cannot tell you how much I loved it, waking up every morning and seeing the sun shining. The jetskis rolling was just wonderful. I really had a lot of fun with everything and everyone out there. The Jonikal was an amazing piece of kit. I loved sailing on it. Everyone on board was so helpful and kind and I was looked after so well. Superb holiday.... I miss you all enormously. It was with great sadness that the boys and I waved you off at Stansted last night. We were given a wonderful³⁰ and magical week and adored every minute of our stay. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and patience, particularly in the light of the behaviour of the British media. William and Harry and I had the best holiday imaginable and your family made us so welcome. Needless to say, I think your entire flock is hugely special. Mohamed, we will never be able to thank you enough for everything. You gave the three of us a great deal of happiness and a holiday to remember. Lots of love from Diana."

Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi’s Father: 18 Feb 08: 193.16:

Mansfield: Q. You indicated earlier today that you felt that, perhaps for the first time, she had found a family in which there was security and happiness being provided to her?

A. That is right....

Q. What is your recollection of that St Tropez holiday, as far as you were concerned, short though it was?

A. Just the whole turnover in her life, you know, that she can see a family, related to a family. She saw how my kids together, how we did everything, she was excited about. Just to relate to my family and to feel the security finally, and the happiness with my son, was something that she cannot believe.

Raine Spencer, Diana’s Stepmother: 12 Dec 07: 11.15:

Burnett: Q. Did you have any contact with the Princess of Wales after she returned from St Tropez; that is to say after the holiday with the boys?

A. Very much so. She could not wait to tell me all about it.

Q. We have heard from others already that she had great fun and so did they.

A. She had a fantastic time. She really enjoyed it.

Michael Cole, Director of Public Affairs, Harrods: 10 Jan 08: 108.2:

Hilliard: Q. After the holiday, the Princess of Wales telephoned you again at your home....

A. Well, she rang up and she said, "We are all sitting here in KP³¹ suffering from the most awful withdrawal symptoms, she said. We have had such a wonderful time, she said, It’s the best family holiday of my entire life. And she said I can’t thank you enough and I said, I absolutely did nothing, but I’m so pleased that it was wonderful", and she said some very complimentary things about the Fayed children and Heini³² and the hospitality....

Q. She had had a good time?

A. She had – it was the best of her life, she said.... She just said that the boys had the greatest time, the piece of kit, the ship, they loved it, they loved it and the swimming. What she really loved was the fact that it was a really happy family altogether, and there was, as Mrs Al Fayed, Heini said to me – she said it was laughter morning, noon and night and the Princess was doubled over with laughter all the time....

Lucia Flecha de Lima, Friend of Diana and Wife of Brazilian Ambassador: 18 Dec 07: 99.10:

Burnett: Q. Whilst the Princess was on holiday in July 1997, did you and she speak while she was in St Tropez?

A. Yes, we did, but obviously not on a daily basis.

Q. Was it obvious to you that she was having fun with the Al Fayeds and with her boys?

A. Oh yes. Yes, she did have fun.

Sarah McCorquodale, Diana’s Sister: 28 Jan 08: 104.9:

Burnett: Q. She went to stay with you, I think, on 24th July.

A. Yes.

....Q. Did she talk to you then about the time that she had had in St Tropez?

A. Yes, she did.

Q. At that stage – so this is after the holiday with Mr Al Fayed Senior ... and before going off on the Jonikal – did she talk to you at that stage at all about Dodi Al Fayed?

A. No, she didn’t.

Q. Not at all?

A. No, just the holiday generally.

Q. And the holiday had been a great success?

A. Yes.

Q. She had had a wonderful time?

A. The boys had had a wonderful time.

Comment: The evidence indicates that Diana had the best family holiday of her life.

The odd witness out is Sarah McCorquodale: When asked if Diana had a wonderful time, she failed to answer the question, instead replying: The boys had had a wonderful time.

Diana’s State of Mind

The following witness evidence, describing individual perceptions of Diana’s state of mind during the period of her relationship with Dodi, is presented in time order – from mid-August 1997 through to just ten minutes before the crash.

Rodney Turner, Diana’s Car Dealer and Friend: 7 Jan 08: 15.17:

Hough: Q. The last contact you personally had with the Princess was on the Wednesday ... 13th August 1997... Can you describe the conversation you had with her on that occasion?

A. We were chatting about her life in general and how she was having a fun summer, she was very much enjoying herself, she was very happy, she was extremely positive, and obviously the holiday – as we know, she had quite a few different holidays – but she was very, very strong and extremely happy, and was very much looking forward to getting back to seeing her sons....

Michael Cole, Director of Public Affairs, Harrods: 10 Jan 08: 163.3:

Mansfield: Q. Did Diana come into the [Harrods] store during that period [mid-August 1997] ... [and] talk to you and Mohamed...?

A. Yes.... She was in the highest of high spirits, she was full of fun....

....Q. I’m just interested in what impression you got from her about the relationship with Dodi?

A..... She had joy in her heart, lightness in her step, she seemed to me like a woman in love.... I had never seen her so happy....

Colin Tebbutt, Diana’s Driver and Security: 26 Nov 07: 85.19:

Hough: Q. During that period of time [the days prior to the final departure on August 22], what was her mood overall?

A. Excellent, sir.

At 114.17: In the last few days I saw the Princess of Wales, it was business as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. In my opinion the Princess of Wales was in a good frame of mind. She appeared relaxed and very happy, albeit slightly uptight about the press intrusion, but nothing more.

Lily Hua Yu, Diana’s Chinese Doctor: 6 Jan 05 Statement read out 20 Dec 07: 65.15:

Diana was very happy the last time I saw her [August 21] and was in a very positive mood. After all the stress and depression she had suffered, the Chinese medicine had improved her well-being.... She mentioned Dodi. He appeared at the right time, when she needed emotional support.... She said she felt very good.

Annabel Goldsmith, Friend of Diana: 17 Dec 07: 9.6:

Burnett: Q. Did you have any further discussion with the Princess before she died?

....A. On the 24th – I think it was a Sunday – 24th/25th, Diana rang me....

....Q. Did she tell you about the sort of time she was having?

A. She said she was having the most wonderful time and that she had never been so spoilt.

Q. Never been so spoilt?

A. She was having a really wonderful time.

Rosa Monckton, Friend of Diana: 13 Dec 07: 148.7:

Burnett: Q. At that stage, the Wednesday before the tragedy, she was obviously very happy.

A. Yes, she was.

Q. And on a high?

A. Yes.

At 14 Dec 07: 24.11: Mansfield: Q. It was perfectly clear ... as far as you could tell on a telephone call, extremely happy; is that right?

A. Yes, she was having a good time.

Q. But it was having a good time with Dodi. Did she not even at that stage go a little bit further with you and say something about how she regarded him?

A. No, because it was a very brief [phone] conversation because she was between boats.

Q. The words you have used in your [7 July 2004] statement, if I can just remind you, in relation to this, She told me it was ‘bliss’.

A. She did, but that is a word she used a lot.

Michael Gibbins, Diana’s Private Secretary: 21 Nov 07: 33.4:

Mansfield: Q. The last time you spoke to her on 29th [August], I believe, the Friday ... Now, when you spoke to her – I do respect and appreciate the fact that you have said very clearly she did not discuss her inner-most feelings with you, but nevertheless, as far as you were able to tell, she was – I think the word you have used, so may I use it – that she was her normal very bubbly self –

A. Absolutely, yes.

Q. – and was having a good time?

A. That was the sense I got, certainly.

Alistair Campbell, Director of Strategy for Tony Blair: 2007 Published Diary: Jury Didn’t Hear:

Diary entry for 31 August 1997 while waiting at RAF Northolt for Diana’s body to arrive from France: Michael Gibbins ... spoke to [Diana] a few days ago and she was really happy. [Gibbins said] ‘This Dodi character may have been a bit odd but he certainly made her happy’. ³³

Sarah McCorquodale, Diana’s Sister: 28 Jan 08: 177.11:

Mansfield: Q. In the summer of 1997, in the second trip where she’s ringing you a little more regularly, the only call you actually remember is the last one [on August 29]?

A. Yes.

Q. You see, we have heard that people who knew her said, whatever else, that they had never known her quite so happy as at this period.

A. She was happy.

Q. Very happy, wasn’t she?

A. She was happy.

Myriah Daniels, Dodi’s Holistic Healer: 18 Dec 07: 52.18:

She was a person who – the way she spoke and what she did was definitely somebody who is getting on with her life, and the things that she said clearly, she was making a new start in life and she seemed strong to me.

Susan Kassem, Friend of Diana: 9 Feb 06 Statement read out 18 Dec 07: 163.19:

Describing a conversation on the morning of 30 August 1997: Diana told me that she was looking forward to coming home and I could tell this by the tone in her voice. I knew her well and could sense her moods when we spoke. If she had an issue, I would know. She had been travelling a lot that summer. It had been frenetic and she wanted to get back to the routine of going to the gym and seeing the boys. She was pleased to be having her own space for a while.

Reuben Murrell, Security Officer, Villa Windsor, Paris: 17 Jan 08: 121.8:

Hough: Q. When they arrived [at Villa Windsor on August 30], how did they appear and how did they behave?

A. They seemed, I guess, slightly flustered. He seemed probably a little bit more controlled and really trying to influence Princess Diana to calm her down. And I guess, from the brief background of my knowledge, that they had probably been followed from Le Bourget.... I guess the summary was that he was trying to calm things down and get themselves to a private location to gather their wits about them.

At 23 Jan 08: 10.1: Horwell: Q. You say this in your statement: I got the feeling that they were flustered and that she did not seem interested. Her body language seemed a bit stressed. I got the impression that something had happened and I felt it appropriate to leave them alone. Is that right?

A. Yes, that’s correct.

Q. Mr Murrell, this was not a woman who gave you the impression that she was visiting her future home?

A. No, certainly not. A brief example is just inside the Villa Windsor there is – or was at the time – a small museum-type area.... There was no interest shown – I recall Dodi trying to show her these items and really the body language was that they stood quite far apart and she didn’t show any interest. It was at that stage that I decided I ... wasn’t wanted in that situation.

Rita Rogers, Diana’s Clairvoyant: 1998 Book Excerpt read out 17 Jan 08: 237.23:

She called me from Paris on the afternoon of 30th August. It was about 4.30 p.m. in England. She was terribly happy and told me how much she had loved her holiday with Dodi. She told me that she had discovered that Dodi had gone out to collect a ring for her. She was in love, there was no denying that, but the real reason for all the joy and excitement in her voice was because she was about to be reunited with her boys. She told me that she was having dinner at the Ritz that night. She was thrilled about it. I was pleased to see she was happy....

Richard Kay, Friend of Diana and Daily Mail Royal Correspondent: 20 Dec 07: 6.16:

Hilliard: Q. 30th August. Is this right, you had a telephone call on your mobile telephone.... What sort of impression did you have of the mood she was in?

A. I think one needs to ... split it into two. I think her mood emotionally was clearly one of happiness, but other matters were nevertheless gnawing away at her. I am not just talking about the media attention, that she had other issues that she was concerned about – kind of mixed, but broadly happy.

At 27.8: Mansfield: Q. Can we go back to your original [1 September 1997] article because I suggest you are modifying it slightly.... "The Diana I Knew by Richard Kay: When she rang me on Saturday evening, she was as happy as I have ever heard her." Is that true?

A. Yes, sir.

Kez Wingfield, Al Fayed Bodyguard: 2 Sep 97 Statement read out 29 Jan 08: 59.13:

[Dodi] was happy, as was the Princess. They were laughing and joking. Ironic as it may sound, I had never seen the pair of them, Mr Dodi and Princess Diana, as happy as when they were able to leave quietly via the rear of the hotel.

Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi’s Bodyguard: 2 Oct 97 Statement read out 23 Jan 08: 80.7:

Before leaving the Ritz just prior to the crash: Dodi and the Princess waited in the corridor. They appeared very relaxed.

Comment: The witnesses who had their final contact with Diana from the 13th up to the 24th of August – Turner, Cole, Tebbutt, Yu, Goldsmith – all describe her as being in a very happy state.

Monckton, who spoke to her on the 27th, appears to have provided conflicting evidence: in her statement she said that Diana said it was bliss, but at the inquest she downplayed that by saying to Mansfield that is a word she used a lot. In other words, yes, she was happy, but nothing special. Yet, on the previous day to Burnett, Monckton had agreed that Diana was obviously very happy and on a high.

Gibbins described Diana on the 29th as her normal very bubbly self and having a good time. When Campbell met Gibbins within 24 hours of the crash, he said Dodi certainly made her happy.

When Diana’s sister, Sarah McCorquodale, is told by Mansfield that other witnesses had never known her quite so happy, she replies that she was happy.

Myriah, who had not met Diana until the final cruise but spent some time with her during it, appears to describe a person who is confident.

Kassem, who spoke to Diana on the last day, stated that she was keen to be going home, see the boys and have her own space.

Murrell, who saw the couple at Villa Windsor that afternoon, indicated that there was stress, Diana did not seem interested and they stood quite far apart.

Rogers, who spoke to Diana in the late afternoon, describes a different picture altogether: She was terribly happy and told me how much she had loved her holiday with Dodi and She was in love but her real excitement was being reunited with her boys on her return.

Kay’s evidence appears to conflict – on 1 September 1997 he told the nation that she was as happy as I have ever heard her, but at the inquest this had changed to kind of mixed, but broadly happy.

Both Wingfield and Rees-Jones describe the mood as happy and relaxed – Wingfield said he had never seen the couple happier.³⁴

Although the general evidence over the two weeks is that Diana was very happy, there is either a conflict with, or a toning down of that impression, from Monckton, McCorquodale, Kassem, Murrell and Kay.

It is significant that in the case of both Kay and Monckton, there appears to be a change in their evidence – at the inquest they present toned down testimony regarding Diana’s state of mind, when compared to their earlier accounts. It would be common sense that their earlier comments – made closer to the events – would probably be more accurate than ten year old recollections. When confronted with their earlier accounts, neither of these witnesses denied them.

Monckton stated that bliss was a word [Diana] used a lot. That could raise the question: If Monckton thought that the word bliss did not carry the full meaning – which is perfect happiness³⁵ – in Diana’s case, why did she not say that in her statement, which was made under oath, to the police?

Although Murrell presents a fairly detailed account of stress around the couple during the visit to Villa Windsor, his evidence describing other critical events during that final day has proven to be in error. This has been covered in some detail in Part 1. Murrell is the only person still alive who was present inside the Villa Windsor with Diana and Dodi, but it is clear that no other witness who has described Diana’s demeanour during the final two weeks, or on the final day, has remotely concurred with Murrell’s account.³⁶ I suggest that he is an unreliable witness.

McCorquodale, who comes across as having a reluctant acceptance of her sister’s happiness in the company of Dodi, will also be shown later in this book to be an unreliable witness. Her testimony has already differed from other witnesses in key areas: the frequency of Diana’s visits to Harrods and Diana’s perceptions regarding the July 1997 holiday.

Kassem does not appear to directly comment on whether Diana was happy or not happy. She does however suggest that she was tired of travelling and was pleased to be having her own space for a while. This could be taken as witness evidence that she needed her own space from Dodi, but there was a great deal of evidence presented at the inquest that suggests that was not the case – see below. In her statement, Kassem fails to explain what she specifically meant by the comment, and she was not asked to at the inquest.

In assessing the evidence, there is a further possibility that should be considered: Diana may have presented a toned down picture of her level of happiness to those that she perceived were disapproving of the Dodi relationship. This is a factor that is dealt with later in this book.³⁷

On balance the evidence is that Princess Diana was in a very happy and relaxed mood during the period when she was with Dodi, but not every witness concurs. One needs to view this evidence in the light of the wide-ranging testimony relating to the nature of the Diana-Dodi relationship.

Nature of the Relationship

There was a great deal of conflict regarding the nature, intensity and direction of the relationship between Diana and Dodi.

Letters from Diana

Through the course of their relationship Dodi received the following letters from Diana.³⁸³⁹

Princess Diana: 27 Jul 97 Letter to Dodi read out 18 Feb 08: 195.6:

Following the weekend in Paris:

"Dearest Dodi,

"Seldom has this particular lady ever been lost for words, but the events of the last twenty-four hours has left her speechless!

"Your organisation and sense of detail is enormously impressive & I thought I was the one with vision!!

"I am absolutely thrilled with this beautiful new addition upon my wrist & I spend many a moment just staring down on my watch in awe & am so touched to have been thought of.

"I have always longed to stay at the Ritz, since my father loved the hotel and now, of course, I see exactly why & what with a wonderful dinner too.

"What can a girl say?!! Except perhaps to borrow a quote that was issued at 3.00 a.m. on Sunday morning, 'I love hanging out with you too: ...

Lots of love, Dodi, & a million heartfelt thanks for all your kindness and generosity, from Diana. x

Princess Diana: 5 Aug 97 Letter to Dodi read out 18 Feb 08: 196.6:

During first cruise, on the day of the Monte Carlo visit:

"Darling Dodi,

"You spread so much happiness with your thoughtfulness – what a gift you have....

"I can only imagine the look of utter joy on William & Harry’s faces when they see what’s arrived today.☺

"As for their mother, she just beams inside & out & is deeply touched by what comes from your huge heart which holds no bounds...

Thank you, thank you, fondest luv from x Diana. x

Princess Diana: 6 Aug 97 Letter to Dodi read out 14 Dec 07: 20.7:

Following the first cruise:

"Darling Dodi,

"Heaven knows where on earth I begin to thank you for the most magical six days on the ocean waves! – It is a bit of ‘oh my God’ situation!!

"I adored it all & every possible minute was full of laughter & happiness, & that combination is a serious treat!

"However, I shall always remember, in particular, the consequences of your conversation with Rita – I have never seen or felt such a huge burden being removed as what happened to you – Long long overdue, & now you are able to benefit from peace of mind in a very personal way.

"This comes with all the love in the world & as always a million heartfelt thanks for bringing such joy into this particular chick’s life,

From x Diana. x

Diana, Princess of Wales: 13 Aug 97 Letter to Dodi read out 14 Dec 07: 23.8:

While at Oxted:

"Darling Dodi,

"These cufflinks were the very last gift that I received from the man I loved most in the world – my father –

"They are given to you as I know how much joy it would give him to know they were in such safe and special hands....

Fondest love, from Diana. x

Letter from Diana to Dodi, written at Oxted on 13 August 1997, 18 days before the crash.

Eye-Witnesses

The following witness evidence is presented in order of the likely knowledge that the witness had of the relationship – for example, the first six witnesses had first-hand eye-witness evidence based on significant periods of time spent with Diana and Dodi as a couple.

Debbie Gribble, Chief Stewardess on the Jonikal: 19 Dec 2007: 8.6:

Hough: Q. Did you form any view about their relationship on that [July] holiday?

A. No, I didn’t, no.

Q. I think in your statement you say that you just thought that they were two people getting to know each other; is that fair?

A. Yes.

.... Q. How would you characterise their relationship on this [early August] cruise?

A. Well they were clearly having a relationship and they were on board as a couple.

Q. Without going into any details of how you were aware, was it apparent to you that they were sleeping together?

A. Well, yes, I suppose so.

.... Q. On this [final] cruise, were you aware of any change in the relationship of the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed or was it as you have described before?

A. No, it was exactly as I described before.

Q. Were you aware at any point on this cruise of Dodi Al Fayed giving the Princess of Wales gifts?

A. Yes.

Q. What kind of gifts?

A. I believe there was some clothing and I think a bracelet.

Q. I think she, in return, also gave him at least some kind of gift to do with cigars, a cutter or a box; is that right?

A. That’s right, yes.

Q. Were you aware or was there any talk of them having looked at or selected an engagement ring?

A. No, not at all. I wasn’t aware of any of that.

At 24.3: Mansfield: Q. They were very affectionate, so far as you could see, towards each other?

A. They were affectionate towards each other, yes.

Debbie Gribble: Quoted in 1998 Andersen Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

Debbie Gribble related her impressions of Diana and Dodi’s meeting on July 14: They got on well enough, but I didn’t think anything of it. Then a full-scale fun food fight developed at the table. They were chasing each other and laughing and giggling like a couple of kids. Then they wrestled a bit and stopped, just staring at each other.... From that moment on something changed in the way they treated each other.... Something had passed between them – suddenly they seemed to fit as a couple. The following day, July 15: Everyone else had gone their own way. Diana and Dodi were still deep in conversation. She was talking about her work and travels in India and Africa, and he was enthralled. ⁴⁰

Rene Delorm, Dodi Fayed’s Butler: 5 Dec 07: 180.20:

Here I am, standing in front of a man [Dodi, on August 30], telling me that he is going to propose to the Princess. I was very, very excited because that is what was missing in his life and finally he met his soulmate, I believe.

At 189.11: Mansfield: Q. Throughout this period – it is between July and the end of August, first of all – as far as you could tell, was the relationship between the two of them a serious one or merely some summer romance that would all be over at the end of it?

A.... In the first cruise [July 31 to August 6], they were getting to know each other and I could see M Dodi Al Fayed being like never before. On the second cruise, it was like a flower that bloomed. They were totally relaxed; totally involved. I never saw a couple talking so much in a boat, even that big boat. They were at all times talking about things. And I never saw Mr Dodi Al Fayed so happy in his life and I spent seven years with him. He was frustrated with women before because he knew they were with him for some reason. For the Princess, she was more famous than him, she has more – I mean, she has money. She was there for him. Not for anything to gain. When he felt that, I think he fell in love and both of them suffered in their own way; one, the Princess from the divorce of the Prince and the paparazzi story, and Dodi Al Fayed from the divorce of his wife, so they both suffered. Finally, after spending a month and a half together, in Paris, in London, in Jonikal, you get to know someone after spending so many times so close. That exactly is how I felt.

Rene Delorm: 1998 Book: Jury Didn’t Hear:

Describing the developing relationship during the July 31 to August 6 Jonikal cruise: I had never seen two people talk as much, or as intently as they did.... Once each realised that the other understood [them] and more importantly, cared, the floodgates opened. Both were eager to reveal themselves, to get to know each other.... They were in the process of getting to know each other’s souls – a process they took seriously and on which they spent much time.... Their excitement at being together and their pleasure at just getting away from it all never seemed to diminish. Meanwhile, as the trip progressed they seemed to get physically closer and closer. They were almost always touching one another in some little way – holding hands.... All of these signs of loving intimacy became more and more apparent as the days rolled by. ⁴¹

Myriah Daniels, Dodi’s Holistic Healer: 18 Dec 07: 52.5:

Hough: Q. How would you describe that relationship?

A. They were having fun.... The thing is that with Diana, they were like two people who were in that whole new thing where, you know, This is exciting and fun and gee, let’s see what is going to happen. You have that sense of like invincibility. You are smitten with somebody. So that is what I saw, two people smitten with one another.

At 73.24: Mansfield: Q. Just to pick up on a couple of words that I think you have used. In fact you took the view, didn’t you, that you thought in future they might well hook up. Those are the words I am suggesting that you may have used at the time.

....A. Look, nobody will ever know if they would have hooked up. It was too soon. They had just met. They were having fun getting to know each other, and to this day I cannot believe at all that Dodi would have been premature in a situation like this to ask her to marry him. I do not believe that.

....Q. The way it looked on the boat, they were getting on extremely well.

A. They were having a lot of fun. They were like people in a brand new relationship that were smitten with each other for sure.

Philippe Dourneau, Dodi Fayed’s Regular Driver, Paris: 3 Dec 07: 36.1:

Mansfield: Q. Mr Dourneau: in the time that you were driving and in the company of Princess Diana and Dodi, did you get the impression yourself that they loved each other?

A. They really seemed in love with each other.

Claude Roulet, Assistant President, Ritz, Paris: 5 Dec 07: 45.1:

Burnett: Q. Did you see them together during the course of that weekend [26-27 July 1997]?

A. Yes, I did.

Q. It is right, isn’t it, that they appeared to be enjoying each other’s company enormously?

A. They were.

At 106.1: Mansfield: Q. Now I appreciate you were watching from the outside, but insofar as you could tell, [Dodi’s] relationship with Princess Diana appeared to be something rather special, didn’t it?

A. From what I saw, yes.

Q. You have made this observation in the past, that certainly on the Saturday, for example, the 30th, when you saw them, they appeared to be very much in love, on that day when they came back from the airport?

A. They appeared to be very close, yes.

Rita Rogers, Diana’s Clairvoyant: 17 Jan 2008: 229.6:

Burnett: Q. You spent quite a lot of time with Dodi during the course of that day [August 12], but again I do not want to press you on the matters that you were passing to him from the spirit world. But it’s right, isn’t it, that Dodi made it quite clear to you that he was in love with Diana, totally in love with Diana?

A. Very much so.

Q. To put it simply, he was, he told you, head over heels with her.

A. Very much so, yes.

Q. You also talked to Diana.... What was your impression from what she told you of how she saw the relationship at that time, 12th August?

A. She loved Dodi very much. She told me that. They were her exact words.

Q. She talked to you also about the possibility of marriage, didn’t she?

A. I spoke about a ring to her. I told her Dodi would buy her a ring and I described it.

Q. So you were able to foresee precisely the nature of the ring that in due course he was to buy. I am looking at ... your statement where you said this: Diana told me that she knew she could never marry Dodi because of the religious problems that it would have caused.

A. Yes, that was a big worry for her.

Q. Diana told me that it was lovely to be loved. She was happy to be having a good time. Then you go on and explain that you told her that he was going to buy her a ring.

A. That’s correct, yes.

Q. So a couple in love but no marriage, according to the Princess, is how it was on 12th August.

A. I always feel it’s something she would have dearly loved to do and ... always seemed to me to be looking for a way – how to do it or get by in the situation.

At 240.14: Mansfield: Q. When you met [Dodi], having spoken to him on the phone, what kind of person did you assess him to be? Is that possible for you to say?

A. Absolutely lovely. I really, really liked him, and I have never seen anyone look at anyone – look at each other like Diana and Dodi did.

Q. While they were up in Derbyshire?

A. Yes. They looked at each other – it’s like she couldn’t bear to be away from him, you know, whilst he was in the room with me.

Comment: The above accounts reveal the evidence from the people who were physically closest to the couple:

- from the start of the romance – Debbie

- during their weekend in Paris, July 26 & 27 – Dourneau, Roulet

- during the first cruise, July 31 to August 6 – Debbie, Delorm

- visited at her home, August 12 or 13 – Rogers

- on the final cruise, August 22 to 30 – Debbie, Delorm, Myriah

- on the final day in Paris, August 30 – Delorm, Dourneau, Roulet.

The evidence of these six people is reasonably consistent:

- Debbie: they were affectionate towards each other

- Delorm: they were totally relaxed; totally involved

- Rogers: I have never seen anyone ... look at each other like Diana and Dodi did

- Dourneau: they really seemed in love with each other

- Roulet: they appeared to be very close

- Myriah: they were like people in a brand new relationship that were smitten with each other for sure.

On balance, their evidence is that Diana and Dodi were very much in a relationship and in love, and this evidence is consistent throughout August.

Other Witnesses

The evidence of 14 additional witnesses who were close to Diana or Dodi was also covered extensively at the inquest, even though these people were not eye-witnesses of the developing relationship.⁴²

There was conflict in these accounts, which were based on conversations with either Diana or Dodi – but not both together – and often the communication was conducted over the telephone.

Paul Burrell, Diana’s Butler: 14 Jan 08: 24.22:

Burnett: Q. In the period following the trip to St Tropez [after July 20] ... did the Princess discuss with you anything about Dodi?

A. Yes.... She said that she had met Dodi Al Fayed ... and he was charming, handsome and very attentive, and she had been invited to return to St Tropez and spend some more time with Mr [Dodi] Al Fayed.

....Q. And that’s something she was keen to do, I suspect?

A. Yes, she was. She was overwhelmed by both Mr Al Fayeds' generosity.

Q. After her return to London on 20th July and before going to Paris on 26th July ... did Diana and Dodi, to your knowledge, meet?

A. Yes.

Q. Frequently? Infrequently? How often?

A. Frequently. Mr Al Fayed visited Kensington Palace on one occasion only and the Princess dined with Dodi Al Fayed privately, and I did deliver several letters and packages to the Park Lane address.

Q. And that was in that period or was that later?

A. No, it was in that period.

....Q. Did the Princess talk to you about her relationship ... with Dodi at that stage? So we are now at the end of July....

A. Yes ... it was an exciting time for the Princess.

....Q. During the time that you were away in Bosnia [August 8 to 10], did you and the Princess have any further discussion about her relationship, the exciting time that she had been having with Dodi?

A. Yes, we did, and in fact Mr [Dodi] Al Fayed had provided the Princess with a satellite telephone ... in a small metal suitcase which was very difficult to set up, and I spent a great deal of time in the bushes trying to get the satellite to head towards space in order that the Princess could make a telephone conversation with Dodi Al Fayed.

....Q. At that time, so we are now mid-August ... what was the nature of the relationship that was being conveyed to you by the Princess?

A. It was very fresh, new and exciting.

Q.... Had you had any sense from the Princess ... that Dodi was the one?

A. No, I did not have that impression.

Q.... When do you think it started, the romance?

A. I certainly don’t think the romance started on the first holiday.... I think originally this was a very new friendship which developed into something more.

.... Q. During the time that the Princess was on the Jonikal ... [August 22 onwards] ... did she tell you about the time she was having and the nature of the relationship she was having? ...

A. It was obviously, by then, a very close relationship, and the Princess said that Dodi was – had been very romantic and very spoiling and very attentive. But she did say that she was very much looking forward to coming home. She had missed her children and she wanted to see her boys.... She said it was scorching hot all day on deck and freezing cold downstairs in the air conditioning, and she was, in her words, crawling the walls and wanted to come home.

....Q. It’s suggested that by this time, the end of the trip, if not earlier, Dodi and Diana either were engaged or were on the cusp