What are the Princess Diana death conspiracy theories? Some people STILL believe the Paris car crash in 1997 wasn’t an accident
PRINCESS Diana's tragic death in France two decades ago sparked a wave of conspiracy theories - all of which have been dismissed by French and British authorities.
Some people STILL believe that that the road accident in Paris which claimed the life of the "People's Princess" was not an accident. Here's everything you need to know about the unproven claims...
When and how did Princess Diana die?
The Princess of Wales died in a 60mph car crash on August 31 1997 in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in Paris.
It happened shortly after they left the Ritz Hotel in the city.
Her companion Dodi Al-Fayed and Ritz chaffeur-driver Henri Paul were also killed, but bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived.
An inquest into the death in 2008 blamed paparazzi photographers chasing the car and driver Henri Paul, who was speeding and over the drink-driving limit.
In the days following her death the public left an enormous sea of flowers and tributes outside the gates of Kensington Palace.
Her funeral was held on September 6 1997 at Westminster Abbey and was shown on British television, attracting an audience of 32.1 million viewers.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of her death, with many events being held in her memory.
Mohamed Al-Fayed's claims
Within six months of Diana's death, Dodi's father Mohamed Al-Fayed, who used to own Harrods in London, began claiming in the press the crash was not an accident.
He claimed Princess Diana and his son Dodi were killed by MI6 on the instructions of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.
He also alleged the Princess was pregnant and engaged to his son.
At the inquest he accused members of the Royal family of plotting to kill the Princess for planning to marry a Muslim man.
A major investigation by French authorities, the Metropolitan Police probe Operation Paget led by Lord Stevens and a subsequent six-month inquest did not support Mr Al-Fayed's claims.
Now aged 88, the doting father is living in Surrey and still insists his unproven claims about the couple are true according to a close friend.
The bright light
Former M16 agent Richard Tomlinson suggested at the inquest into Diana's death in 2008 that security services were monitoring the Princess of Wales and driver Henri Paul may have been an informant.
He claimed that her death resembled plans he saw in 1992 for the assassination of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milsoevic using a bright light to cause a traffic accident.
reported one witness American Brian Anderson, who was a passenger in a taxi at the time, claimed at the inquest he saw a "significant flash of light" followed by a "very loud bang" before the crash.
He told the inquest how four motorbikes were like a "cluster in a swarm around the Mercedes".
Witness Francois Levistre told the inquest into Diana’s death that he was driving in front of the Mercedes when the flash lit up the underpass "like the light from a police speed camera".
He claimed the flash came from a motorbike which overtook the Princess' car seconds before the impact.
He also alleged that one of the two bikers on the motorcycle walked over to the wreckage and gave a "mission accomplished" hand gesture.
The jury was also told police doubted Mr Levistre’s evidence after he had given conflicting versions of events in separate witness statements, reported.
He had also served time in prison for possessing an illegal weapon and had been held in connection with an alleged plot to sell a child, the jury heard.
Tomlinson, who was dismissed from MI6 in 1995, was jailed for six months two years later under The Official Secrets Act 1989 after he gave a synopsis of his proposed book The Big Breach detailing his career to an Australian publisher.
During the inquest, Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6 confirmed that a proposal to assassinate a senior Balkan politician by forcing a car crash in a tunnel was briefly considered in the early 1990s, but said it was rejected, reported .
The Fiat Uno
Analysis of the Mercedes wreckage showed it had come into contact with a white Fiat Uno, based on traces of paint on the car's bodywork.
The exact car has never been traced, after French police eliminated more than 4,000 similar vehicles.
Mr Al-Fayed claimed that French photographer James Andanson, who owned a similar Fiat Uno, was behind the wheel and also a secret services agent.
The inquest heard Andanson had produced evidence to show he was at home in Lignieres, 177 miles south of the French capital, at the time of the crash, reported .
Andanson was found dead - around 400 miles from his home - in a burned out BMW in a forest near the town of Nant, France, in May 2000.
Authorities concluded his death was a suicide - which is contested by his family.
The Met's Paget report disclosed that when the car was found, his body was in the driver's seat, but his head had been detached and lay between the front seats.
There was also a hole in his left temple, reported the .
The inquest heard two witnesses Georges and Sabine Dauzonne identified former security guard Le Van Thanh as the agitated man driving the Fiat Uno, the Guardian reported.
Le Van Thanh, 42, is now a bodybuilder in Paris – but he "refuses to talk about the tragedy", and an image showed he re-sprayed his Fiat Uno.
The cabbie has reportedly turned down all requests for comment, insisting through his solicitor he had nothing to do with the crash.
Henri Paul
Conspiracy theorists including Mr Al-Fayed have claimed that Ritzy chaffeur Henri Paul was a double agent for French and possibly British security services.
They pointed to a large amount of cash found in his possession at the time, and considerable personal wealth held in 15 separate bank accounts.
It emerged at the inquest Henri Paul was captured on CCTV waving to photographers shortly before the couple left the Ritz Hotel.
Operation Paget concluded his wealth had not come from security services.
Police said he would have only had contact with French secret service agents when high ranking guests stayed at the hotel.
There was further controversy as Lord Stevens admitted he had told Henri Paul's parents their son was not drunk and had drunk two alcoholic drinks from the hotel bar on the night, which was confirmed by a drinks bill.
Paul's dad Jean told The Mirror he believes Diana and Dodi were killed in a plot to stop her "marrying a Muslim."
Jean, of Lorient, Brittany, also believe samples showing his son had alcohol in his system could have been tampered with after his death.
He said: “Diana was killed and my son was killed. I believe they were both murdered.
“My son was simply collateral damage of a plot to kill Diana and they killed him as well.
“The English police came here to visit me and sat exactly where you are sitting now.
“Even inside Scotland Yard there are two sides. One believes there was a secret plot to kill Diana, the other believes it was a genuine accident.”
But an expert in the Met's Paget report stated he had drunk the equivalent of ten small glasses of Ricard before driving.
SAS involvement
Alleged SAS involvement in Diana’s death came from a letter written in 2011 and made public three years ago alleging that a member of the unit had boasted that the SAS “was behind” the Princess’ death and that it was covered up.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley dismissed SAS involvement, reported .
He said in a letter: "Whilst there is a possibility that the alleged comments in relation to the SAS's involvement in the death may have been made, there is no credible or relevant evidence to support a theory that such claims had any basis in fact."
What happened to Trevor-Rees Jones?
Diana's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only survivor of the crash.
Mr Rees-Jones, who was employed by Mr Al-Fayed, suffered severe brain and chest injuries and every bone in his face was broken. He spent ten days in a coma.
The former soldier returned to England and quit his job with Mr Al-Fayed the following year.
He was interviewed four times by French authorities but said he could not recall the crash.
He told the coroner in 2008 he had vague memories of a motorbike alongside the vehicle, and a woman’s voice calling out “Dodi” but he was not sure if they were real memories.
Responding to claims by Mr Al-Fayed he was part of a cover up, Mr Rees-Jones said: “I am not part of a conspiracy to suppress the truth at all.
"All I have ever done is give the truth as I see it.”
What was the verdict of the Met Police Operation Paget investigation and jury inquest?
An 18-month investigation by French authorities which ended in 1999, after interviewing 200 witnesses, concluded Diana was killed because Henri Paul was driving at high speed under the influence of alcohol - and ruled out security services involvement, the reported.
Former Met Police Commissioner Lord Stevens launched a criminal investigation - called Operation Paget - in 2004 at the request of Royal Coroner Michael Burgess.
This probe would examine the conspiracy theories voiced by people including Mr Al-Fayed.
The 832-page Paget , which included 1,500 witness statements, was published on December 14 2006.
The reported that Lord Stevens concluded it had been a "tragic accident".
"There was no conspiracy to murder any of the occupants of that car," Lord Stevens said.
Lord Stevens dismissed claims from Mr Al-Fayed that Princess Diana was about to get engaged, and the ex-commissioner said scientific tests showed Diana was not pregnant.
A jury inquest into the deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed led by Lord Justice Scott Baker began at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in October 2007.
The inquest lasted until April 2008 and heard evidence from around 250 witnesses.
Operation Paget findings
- There was no conspiracy to murder Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed.
- The car crash was a tragic accident.
- The Mercedes was travelling at an excessive speed.
- Any theories concerning flashing lights can be discounted as a cause of the crash.
- There was contact between the Mercedes carrying the princess and a white Fiat Uno shortly before the crash.
- It is unlikely the Fiat will ever be traced.
- None of the occupants of the Mercedes was wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
- Princess Diana, Dodi Al Fayed and Henri Paul might have survived had they been wearing seatbelts.
- Princess Diana was not pregnant.
- Princess Diana was not engaged and did not plan to get engaged.
- Henri Paul, the driver of the Mercedes, had alcohol levels twice the British drink-drive limit at the time of the crash.
- Henri Paul was not an informant for MI6.
- There was no evidence of any link between the Duke of Edinburgh and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
- There was no evidence to support claims the security services were involved in any way in Princess Diana's death.
- The CIA told the Stevens inquiry it had no information relevant to the investigation.
- A claim by former MI6 agent Richard Tomlinson that a flash was used to blind Henri Paul was wrong and influenced by anger towards the Secret Intelligence Service, from which he had been dismissed.
Source
Jurors came to the conclusion that Diana and Fayed were unlawfully killed as a result of the "gross negligence" of Mercedes driver Henri Paul and the paparazzi.
Their verdict said contributing factors included the "impairment of the judgement of the driver of the Mercedes [Henri Paul] through alcohol" and that none of those who died were wearing a seat-belt.
The cost of the inquiry, including the inquest and Met investigation, was £12.5 million.
In a statement, Diana's sons William and Harry thanked the jurors: "We agree with their verdicts and are both hugely grateful to each and every one of them for the forbearance they have shown in accepting such significant disruption to their lives over the past six months."
The car in which Diana died was a dangerous insurance write-off that flipped ten times in an earlier crash, it was claimed earlier this year.
