PRINCESS DIANA'S
BROTHER EARL 'SPENCER'
AND OTHERS
updated 11-28-04
Final update 4-7-08
DIANA, BROTHER AT ODDS IN YEAR BEFORE HER DEATH, BOOK CLAIMS
10-23-03
Excerpts of letters are being published in British newspaper
by Sue Leeman
The Associated Press
LONDON - The year before Princess Diana died, she was alienated from her
brother Earl Spencer, and he wrote to her, saying she had mental problems
and was manipulative and deceitful, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Spencer, speaking on NBC's "Today" show, said the letter, published in excerpts
from a new book, was being seen out of context and that he "adored Diana".
He also said Wednesday that he did not believe her fatal 1997 car crash was
planned, despite a letter, published int he same book, in which Diana said
she feared someone would tamper with her car's brakes.
Both letters are from "A Royal Duty," a forthcoming book by Diana's former
butler Paul Burrell, which is being excerpted in the Daily Mirror newspaper.
The princess's companion Dodi Fayed also was killed in the crash; his father,
Mohammed al Fayed, has never accepted the France verdict that driver Henri
Paul's use of drugs and alcohol and the car's speed caused the accident.
Paul also was killed. Al Fayed says the death we intentional.
"My family and I are absolutely certain that we've never seen any evidence
of that whatsoever," Spencer said, speaking to NBC from Toronto. As for Diana's
fears, he said, "I do think it's just a horrible coincidence rather than
actually tied in with reality."
Asked if Diana's fear were justified, Spencer said she had spoken to him
about eavesdroppers and having her private quarters bugged.
"I think paranoid is a very strong word, but I think using it in the common
way - meaning very, very concerned about yourself - yes, she was at time,"
Spencer said,
The letter attributed to Spencer and published in the Daily Mirror said,
"I know how manipulation and deceit are parts of the illness. I hope you
are getting treatment for your mental problem."
Spencer told NBC the letter was being seen "out of context" and out of time."
"I suppose all of the loving letters I sent won't sell like this one, which
is trying to help her when she was at her most complex," he said, "Anyone
who tries to make out that I didn't support and love my sister is way off
the mark."
Prince Philip letters included
News reports have said Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are furious that
Burrell included private letters from Philip in the book and are considering
legal action.
A palace spokeswoman declined to say whether the royal couple is upset and
would not comment on the possibility of a lawsuit.
She said the royal family asked to see an advance copy of the book, and the
publisher sent excerpts to Buckingham Palace.
Burrell, the servant whom Diana once called "my rock," said Prince Philip
sent Diana a series of letters in 1992 as her marriage was foundering.
The Daily Mirror reported Tuesday that PHilip wrote to Diana that he held
her partly responsible for the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles,
but also told her he "never dreamed" that Charles would leave her for longtime
companion Camilla Parker Bowles.
"I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind leaving you for Camilla," Philip
wrote.
But he also chastised his daughter-in-law for her behavior, asking, "Can
you honestly look into your heart and say that Charles relationship with
Camilla had nothing to do with your behavior towards him in your marriage?"
A former senior royal aide defended Burrell's decision to reveal details
of letters from her royal in-laws in the new book.
Mark Bolland, who for six years was deputy private secretary to Prince Charles,
said the book simply highlighted the monarchy's inadequacies.
"Diana had many remarkable qualities. The most important for the monarchy
was her ability to connect with people and to champion important causes in
a highly focused and disciplined way," Bolland wrote in Wednesday's Daily
Mail.
"Try as they might (and they don't often even try), there is little most
of the royal family can do to build bridges successfully with those parts
of the population whose support is crucial for their survival," Bolland added.
SPENCER: I WAS TRYING TO HELP DIANA
Oct 23 2003
Spencer defends his 'cruel' letter
From Anthony Harwood, US Editor In New York, And Richard Smith, Emma Britton
And Patrick Mulchrone In London
EARL Spencer yesterday defended his letter to Diana telling her she had "mental
problems" by claiming he had been trying to help his sister.
He said in an interview on American TV: "I suppose all the loving letters
I sent don't have the sell-ability of this one, which was a genuine bid to
try to help her when she was at her most complex.
"The pressures on Diana were huge and immense and there was a stage where
I felt that things needed to be addressed."
Extracts from the letter - sent in April 1996, 16 months before Diana's death
- were revealed in yesterday's Daily Mirror serialization of butler Paul
Burrell's book.
The earl told Diana: "I know how manipulation and deceit are parts of the
illness. I pray you are getting treatment for your mental problems."
In his address at her funeral, Spencer described his sister as the "essence
of compassion" and a "symbol of humanity".
Yesterday the earl told NBC he not believe conspiracy theories that the Paris
crash was murder. The family was "absolutely certain" it was an accident.
Spencer, 39, also said Diana's letter to Burrell predicting her death in
that way was just "bizarre coincidence".
Burrell himself told rival network ABC that Diana thought she was at risk
because she was deemed a "loose cannon".
He said: "People thought she was messing with things that were far from the
Royal Family."
In Britain, Queen's coroner Michael Burgess spoke out on the affair, saying
he was still not ready to hold an inquest.
Earl Spencer was talking from Canada, where he was promoting the Althorp
estate. He had planned to say that the Diana exhibition was temporarily moving
to Toronto after visits to the US and Japan.
Instead - to his dismay and irritation, according to TV sources - he faced
questions on Burrell.
Spencer said of the "mental problems" letter: "At the end of the day, that's
a private correspondence and it's so out of context to the relationship we
had.
"Anyone who tries to make out I didn't support and love my sister is way
off the mark. I adored Diana and there isn't a day goes by where I don't
miss her terribly."
IN the letter, he had also told Diana: "Our relationship is the weakest I
have with any of my sisters."
Referring to the Diana letters quoted in Burrell's book, he went on: "I haven't
seen them, in fact I don't think anyone's seen them apart from tiny extracts
from them.
"But I gather from experts that the little extracts they've seen correspond
to Diana's handwriting."
He said he had got a "horrible jolt" at Diana's crash fears. He added: "Was
it an accident in that it was avoidable? I think it probably was.
"If they hadn't been going at high speed being chased by paparazzi with a
driver who, from all reports, wasn't fit to drive, then I suppose that's
an accident. It was avoidable on many counts.
"But with the conspiracy part of it, my family and I are absolutely certain
that we've never seen any evidence of that whatsoever.
"If there was any evidence of that, of course we would be the most interested
of all."
He described Diana's premonition as "just a bizarre coincidence rather than
actually tied in with reality". He added: "With the terrible way she died,
it's impossible to plan that."
Asked if he thought Diana had been paranoid, he said: "Paranoid is a very
strong word, but I think using it in the common way of being very concerned
about yourself, yes she was at times."
On whether she had ever expressed concerns to him, he said: 'Not the car
ones, but definitely about being eavesdropped on and having her private quarters
bugged.
"I think probably at the end of the day, Diana felt quite beleaguered by
what we call the Establishment and ways they might get at her. But we've
never ever seen any evidence of any conspiracy."
The earl supports Premier Tony Blair's rejection of a public inquiry. He
added: "I can also see why people who really still feel confused about the
whole issue might want a public inquiry."
He said his family was used to living with revelations about Diana, adding:
"I just want to remember her in a positive way as a global humanitarian who
was extremely glamorous and a hell of a sister."
Earlier, the Duchess of York was also on US TV, giving an interview on CNN's
Larry King Live.
PRESSED on Diana, she asked King to change the subject and denied warning
Diana about being spied on.
She said Camilla Parker Bowles was a "good lady" whom Diana would have liked.
Fergie was asked about her own relationship with Prince Philip and answered:
"Oh come on, let's get off the subject. That's a real torpedo."
She said of Burrell: "I think it's very sad. Here he is, writing a book and
making money from memories. She was such a great person and we don't need
to know any more."
In London, the Queen and Philip - who had asked for a copy of the book -
declined to look at yesterday's Mirror revelations. They were opening an
exhibition at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank.
Former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke - wrongly accused by Diana in 1995
of becoming pregnant by Charles - laughed out loud when asked about the claim
and said: "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye."
She married divorced dad-of-two Charles Pettifer, 37, in 1999 and now lives
on a farm near Abergavenny.
Coroner Mr Burgess, rebutting criticism of the inquest delay, said he had
to take account of "investigations and proceedings" in France, some of which
were still going on.
He would make "final decisions" as soon he could. "I also have to look at
the practical arrangements for the public hearing," he added.
It also emerged that legal action against Burrell and his publishers is unlikely.
Revealing only extracts of letters and representing them fairly is considered
sufficient to avoid a breach of confidentiality laws.
SPENCER: I WAS TRYING TO HELP DIANA Oct 23 2003
Spencer defends his 'cruel' letter
From Anthony Harwood, US Editor In New York, And Richard Smith, Emma Britton
And Patrick Mulchrone In London
EARL Spencer yesterday defended his letter to Diana telling her she had "mental
problems" by claiming he had been trying to help his sister.
He said in an interview on American TV: "I suppose all the loving letters
I sent don't have the sell-ability of this one, which was a genuine bid to
try to help her when she was at her most complex.
"The pressures on Diana were huge and immense and there was a stage where
I felt that things needed to be addressed."
Extracts from the letter - sent in April 1996, 16 months before Diana's death
- were revealed in yesterday's Daily Mirror serialisation of butler Paul
Burrell's book.
The earl told Diana: "I know how manipulation and deceit are parts of the
illness. I pray you are getting treatment for your mental problems."
In his address at her funeral, Spencer described his sister as the "essence
of compassion" and a "symbol of humanity".
Yesterday the earl told NBC he not believe conspiracy theories that the Paris
crash was murder. The family was "absolutely certain" it was an accident.
Spencer, 39, also said Diana's letter to Burrell predicting her death in
that way was just "bizarre coincidence".
Burrell himself told rival network ABC that Diana thought she was at risk
because she was deemed a "loose cannon".
He said: "People thought she was messing with things that were far from the
Royal Family."
In Britain, Queen's coroner Michael Burgess spoke out on the affair, saying
he was still not ready to hold an inquest.
Earl Spencer was talking from Canada, where he was promoting the Althorp
estate. He had planned to say that the Diana exhibition was temporarily moving
to Toronto after visits to the US and Japan.
Instead - to his dismay and irritation, according to TV sources - he faced
questions on Burrell.
Spencer said of the "mental problems" letter: "At the end of the day, that's
a private correspondence and it's so out of context to the relationship we
had.
"Anyone who tries to make out I didn't support and love my sister is way
off the mark. I adored Diana and there isn't a day goes by where I don't
miss her terribly."
IN the letter, he had also told Diana: "Our relationship is the weakest I
have with any of my sisters."
Referring to the Diana letters quoted in Burrell's book, he went on: "I haven't
seen them, in fact I don't think anyone's seen them apart from tiny extracts
from them.
"But I gather from experts that the little extracts they've seen correspond
to Diana's handwriting."
He said he had got a "horrible jolt" at Diana's crash fears. He added: "Was
it an accident in that it was avoidable? I think it probably was.
"If they hadn't been going at high speed being chased by paparazzi with a
driver who, from all reports, wasn't fit to drive, then I suppose that's
an accident. It was avoidable on many counts.
"But with the conspiracy part of it, my family and I are absolutely certain
that we've never seen any evidence of that whatsoever.
"If there was any evidence of that, of course we would be the most interested
of all."
He described Diana's premonition as "just a bizarre coincidence rather than
actually tied in with reality". He added: "With the terrible way she died,
it's impossible to plan that."
Asked if he thought Diana had been paranoid, he said: "Paranoid is a very
strong word, but I think using it in the common way of being very concerned
about yourself, yes she was at times."
On whether she had ever expressed concerns to him, he said: 'Not the car
ones, but definitely about being eavesdropped on and having her private quarters
bugged.
"I think probably at the end of the day, Diana felt quite beleaguered by
what we call the Establishment and ways they might get at her. But we've
never ever seen any evidence of any conspiracy."
The earl supports Premier Tony Blair's rejection of a public inquiry. He
added: "I can also see why people who really still feel confused about the
whole issue might want a public inquiry."
He said his family was used to living with revelations about Diana, adding:
"I just want to remember her in a positive way as a global humanitarian who
was extremely glamorous and a hell of a sister."
Earlier, the Duchess of York was also on US TV, giving an interview on CNN's
Larry King Live.
PRESSED on Diana, she asked King to change the subject and denied warning
Diana about being spied on.
She said Camilla Parker Bowles was a "good lady" whom Diana would have liked.
Fergie was asked about her own relationship with Prince Philip and answered:
"Oh come on, let's get off the subject. That's a real torpedo."
She said of Burrell: "I think it's very sad. Here he is, writing a book and
making money from memories. She was such a great person and we don't need
to know any more."
In London, the Queen and Philip - who had asked for a copy of the book -
declined to look at yesterday's Mirror revelations. They were opening an
exhibition at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank.
Former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke - wrongly accused by Diana in 1995
of becoming pregnant by Charles - laughed out loud when asked about the claim
and said: "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye."
She married divorced dad-of-two Charles Pettifer, 37, in 1999 and now lives
on a farm near Abergavenny.
Coroner Mr Burgess, rebutting criticism of the inquest delay, said he had
to take account of "investigations and proceedings" in France, some of which
were still going on.
He would make "final decisions" as soon he could. "I also have to look at
the practical arrangements for the public hearing," he added.
It also emerged that legal action against Burrell and his publishers is unlikely.
Revealing only extracts of letters and representing them fairly is considered
sufficient to avoid a breach of confidentiality laws.
By Michael Holden
LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - An inquest into the death of Britain's Princess
Diana opens on Tuesday, promising to shed light on the car crash that killed her
and possibly lay to rest conspiracy theories that she was murdered.
The former wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles died alongside her lover
Dodi Al Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul when their speeding Mercedes car
crashed in a Paris tunnel on August 31, 1997, as it was chased by paparazzi on
motorbikes.
Six years and 128 days after the accident, media and public fascination with
Diana, who was one of the world's most glamorous and instantly recognisable
figures, is still strong.
Reporters from across the globe will hear Royal Coroner Michael Burgess open
separate inquests on Tuesday into the deaths of Diana and Dodi -- the first
official public hearings into the crash to be held on British soil.
"The coroner will read a statement outlining the position now, what he
will and won't look at, and why it has taken so long to get to this stage,"
a spokeswoman for the coroner's office said.
The inquest will then be adjourned and it will probably be at least six
months before a full hearing takes place as Burgess must first wade through more
than 6,000 pages of evidence, the spokeswoman added.
WAS DIANA PREGNANT?
An inquiry by French authorities in 1999 ruled the accident was caused by
chauffeur Paul being drunk and driving too fast.
However, more sinister plots and theories abound.
Dodi's father, Harrods store owner Mohammed Al Fayed, has repeatedly called
for a British inquiry, insisting that Diana and his son were murdered by the
British secret services.
Diana's butler Paul Burrell said in a recent book she had predicted her own
death in a letter written 10 months before she died, claiming someone was
planning to kill her in a car crash.
And just last month a British newspaper reported that an unnamed French
police investigator had claimed that Diana was pregnant at the time of her
death.
Both Mohammed Al Fayed and Burrell could be called as witnesses to the
inquest, although this will not be decided until a later date.
Robert Lacey, a royal biographer, said the inquests should finally reveal all
the facts and bring some closure to the events, although he added the
"magical aura" round Diana meant some people would never believe her
death was an accident.
"I'm quite sure if someone had wished to kill Diana and her lover they
would have come up with a better scheme than bashing her car off the wall in a
Paris tunnel," Lacey told Reuters.
1-6-04 -
PRINCESS Diana accuses Charles from the grave
The Star, Africa
London - Britain has launched a top-level police investigation into the death of
Princess Diana as a tabloid newspaper named Prince Charles as
the person she ... Butler to
name Princess Diana's enemy - Melbourne Herald
Sun Former royal butler Paul Burrell
revealed Princess Diana's
| Princess Diana accuses Charles from the
grave |
January 7, 2004
By Michael Holden and Kate Kelland
London - Britain has launched a top-level police investigation into the
death of Princess Diana as a tabloid newspaper named Prince Charles as the
person she suspected of plotting to kill her.
More than six years after Diana died in a car crash in Paris, royal
coroner Michael Burgess yesterday opened an inquest into her death by
saying Britain's top police officers should investigate claims that her
death was not an accident but a deliberate plot.
"I am aware that there is speculation that (her death was) not the
result of a sad but relatively straightforward road traffic accident in
Paris," Burgess told the inquest, which was packed with hundreds of
journalists from around the world.
"I have asked the Metropolitan Police commissioner to make
inquiries."
Diana died at the age of 36, along with her lover Dodi al-Fayed and their
chauffeur Henri Paul, in the August 1997 crash.
In a front-page splash yesterday, the Daily Mirror tabloid newspaper named
Charles as the person Diana had claimed was "planning an
accident" to kill her.
Diana made the allegation in a letter she gave to her butler and
confidant, Paul Burrell.
The Mirror quoted from the letter Diana wrote just 10 months before her
death.
"This particular phase in my life is the most dangerous," it
said. "My husband is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure
and serious head injury."
A spokesperson for Prince Charles declined to comment.
Royal biographer Robert Lacey said Diana's claim that her husband wanted
her dead reduced the credibility of the allegation.
"It does raise the question about Diana's state of mind, her own
paranoia, her sense of panic."
Burgess said the inquest would be adjourned for 12 to 15 months, meaning
no evidence will be heard for at least a year.
"I have to separate fact from fiction and speculation," he said
in a half-hour-long speech.
"Speculation and speculative reports are not themselves evidence,
however frequently and authoritatively they may be published, broadcast or
repeated." - Reuters
|
...
<http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=128&fArticleId=319627>
POLICE called in as Britain opens inquest into Princess Diana's ...
Channel News Asia, Singapore
LONDON : The first British inquest into the death of Princess Diana opened, then
adjourned after the coroner revealed that he is asking police to
look deeper ... Princess Diana
believed Charles wanted her killed,
Posted: 06 January 2004 2056 hrs
Police called in as Britain opens inquest into Princess Diana's death
First British inquest into Diana's death opens
UK to launch inquest into Princess Diana's death
First British inquest into Diana death set for January 6
LONDON : The first British inquest into the death of Princess Diana opened, then adjourned after the coroner revealed that
he is asking police to look deeper into the 1997 Paris car crash that took her life.
In launching the inquest, coroner Michael Burgess said he has asked Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir John Stevens to look into
persistent speculation that Diana's death was more than an tragic accident.
"I am aware there is speculation these deaths
were not the result of a sad, but relatively straightforward, road
traffic accident in Paris," the coroner said, referring to the
crash which also killed Diana's lover Dodi al-Fayed.
"I have asked the Metropolitan Police commissioner to make
inquiries. The results of these inquiries will help me to decide whether
such matters will fall within the scope of the investigation carried out
at the inquests."
Burgess declared the Diana inquest underway at the Queen Elizabeth II
conference centre in central London, ahead of the opening of a second
inquest later in the day focusing on Fayed.
He said the full hearing would take place next year, though a date still
has to be fixed.
Launching the proceedings, he said: "The purpose of this morning's
hearing is to open formally the inquiry into the death of Diana,
Princess of Wales."
Diana and Fayed, along with their driver Henri Paul, died on August 31,
1997, when their Mercedes-Benz limousine hit a pillar in an underpass
beneath the Pont d'Alma in Paris, a year after Diana's divorce from
Prince Charles, the son of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and the heir to the
throne.
Diana's death triggered a remarkable outpouring of public grief in
Britain, with Prime Minister Tony Blair calling the charismatic blonde
-- an icon of the 1980s and 1990s, from her fairy-tale wedding to
Charles to the end of their stormy marriage -- "the people's
princess".
Fayed's father, Mohamed al-Fayed, the Egyptian-born owner of Harrods
department store in London and the Paris Ritz hotel, has long claimed
that Diana, 36, and his son, 42, were the victims of foul play.
He has contended that the crash was masterminded, perhaps by senior
figures in Britain, to prevent Diana -- who had divorced Charles a year
earlier -- from marrying his son.
"This is what we have been waiting for for six years," Fayed
told reporters as he arrived at the inquest Tuesday with his lawyer.
"At last, I hope we can see the light."
Talk of a conspiracy gathered pace last year when Diana's butler Paul
Burrell, in his memoirs, said she wrote him a note 10 months before she
died in which she said that someone "is planning 'an accident' in
my car, brake failure and serious head injury".
"This particular phase in my life is the most dangerous," she
wrote.
The Daily Mirror newspaper, which serialised Burrell's memoirs, revealed
Tuesday the name of the person suspected by Diana, saying that it would
eventually come out in the coroner's inquest.
Other news media, citing legal concerns, refrained from repeating the
name, but some outlets reported that it was that of "a senior
member" of the British royal family.
Speaking outside his home in Cheshire, northwest England, Burrell said
Tuesday he was "not very happy" that the Daily Mirror -- one
of Britain's most widely read tabloid newspapers -- had splashed the
name on its front page.
"It was always my intention never to publish that name," said
the former royal butler as he headed to work at his flower shop.
By law, a coroner's inquest needs to be held whenever the body of a
British citizen who died abroad is returned home for burial.
But in the case of Diana and Fayed, their inquests had to wait first
until the end of the French investigation into the accident, then the
outcome of legal actions launched by the elder Fayed.
The official French conclusion is that the crash was the result of Paul,
a Ritz hotel employee, driving too fast under the influence of alcohol.
Burgess, who will have access to 6,000 pages of information from the
French authorities, stressed that his inquest would be impartial.
"The single-minded aim is to find the answers to the questions --
who the deceased person was, and how, when and where the cause of death
arose," he said.
Burgess will be looking into Diana's death in his role as the coroner to
the British royal family, while his inquest into Fayed's death stems
from the fact that he is also coroner for Surrey, southwest of London,
where Fayed lived.
Diana's bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones was the sole survivor of the crash
on the short trip from the Ritz to Fayed's Paris apartment, but he has
said he can recall little of what happened that night.
- AFP
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/65096/1/.html>
8 JANUARY 2004
Prince
Charles received a rousing reception from a huge crowd of
well-wishers when he turned out to open a breast cancer clinic in
Hereford. The 55-year-old looked to be thoroughly enjoying the visit,
despite the controversy that has engulfed him in recent days.
"Keep your chin up Charles," said 40-year-old Beverly Terry,
one of the many royal fans at the event. "It's a difficult
time," he responded. "Thank you."
Around 200 people came along to cheer the Prince as he opened the Haven
Trust Therapy Centre. It was his first public appearance since a tabloid
newspaper published one of Princess Diana's private letters and thereby
provoked the latest row to hit the Royal Family.
"Charles acknowledged he was having difficulty but I think he
appreciated the support from people here," said one onlooker.
"He is a very brave fellow – it took some guts to come."
The Prince of Wales managed to remain upbeat throughout and chatted
animatedly with patients and staff. "He was very relaxed, concerned
and kind – he made people laugh two or three times," said founder
Sara Davenport afterwards.
'SHE wasn't pregnant, I have seen into her womb'
The Times (subscription), UK
... They of course did the post-mortem on the driver. In the case of Princess
Diana, of course, there had been very extensive surgery.”. ...
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-954300,00.html>
ROYAL coroner draws on Met's ability to oversee controversial ...
Independent, UK
... Armond yesterday as the policeman who will assist Michael Burgess,
the Coroner for the Royal Household, in his investigation into the deaths
of Princess Diana ...
<http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/story.jsp?story=478770>
LADY Di inquest scrambles black helicopter brigade
The Register, UK
... Princess Diana and her soon-to-be husband, Dodi Fayed, were fatally
injured in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. The site is ancient, dating ...
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/28/34719.html>
PROBE INTO DEATH OF A PRINCESS: DIANA POLICE TO 0 UIZ SCOTS ...
Glasgow Sunday Mail, UK
By Brendan Mcginty. TWO Scots scientists will be questioned by Scotland Yard
over evidence that shows Princess Diana's death was NOT caused by drunk driving.
... British police have doubts
about blood sample from Princess ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune
(subscription) Fayed on Princess Diana: 'It
is absolute black and white ... - Mathaba.Net
Frank Furedi : Diana syndrome - we get the conspiracies we ...
<http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/content_objectid=13803496_method=full_siteid=86024_headline=-PROBE-INTO-DEATH-OF-A-PRINCESS--DIANA-POLICE-TO-0-UIZ-SCOTS-EXPERTS-name_page.html
| Reports: Witness Tells of
Horrifying Scene of Princess Diana's Car Crash |
| Thursday January 15, 2004 3:44pm |
 |
Paris (AP) - A witness to the crash that killed Princess Diana
described a horrific scene of screeching brakes, flying car parts and
an impact that sounded like an explosion - and is "absolutely
convinced" it was an accident, according to reports Thursday.
The witness, identified as Mohamed Medjahdi, told French weekly Paris
Match and Britain's Daily Mail tabloid that he was driving in front of
the Mercedes carrying Diana before the Aug. 31, 1997, crash in a
tunnel under Paris' Pont de l'Alma bridge.
There have been few - if any - complete eyewitness accounts of the
crash. The only surviving occupant of the car carrying Diana,
bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, has said he does not remember the crash.
Medjahdi, of the suburban Val d'Oise region, recalled how he and his
girlfriend, identified only as Souad M., were riding through the
tunnel and listening to loud rap music in a Citroen compact when the
crash occurred.
Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul were killed in
the crash, which a French court ruled was an accident caused by Paul's
speeding and being under the influence of alcohol.
Last week, Britain's royal coroner launched the country's first formal
inquest into the deaths and asked police in London to examine a
variety of conspiracy theories that have sprung up. Some people
believe Diana was the victim of a conspiracy, variously pointing to
the royal family and intelligence agencies.
But Medjahdi disagrees.
"Any conspiracy would have had to be carried out by invisible
men," Medjahdi told the British daily. "I am absolutely
convinced, clear and certain, that this was an accident."
Medjahdi said Diana's car was going so fast he had to speed up to
avoid being hit.
Quoted in the Daily Mail, Medjahdi said: "I heard the terrible
noise of screeching brakes and screaming tires and saw a big car
slewing, out of control, across the highway behind me and hurtling
toward my car."
"I saw part of the car go flying," he told Paris Match.
Medjahdi said the impact sounded like a huge explosion and saw the
limousine bounce from a concrete pillar to the tunnel wall, according
to the Daily Mail.
"It was a dreadful sound, like a bomb exploding, magnified and
echoing around the underpass," he was quoted as saying.
In its report, Paris Match also quoted former French Interior Minister
Jean-Pierre Chevenement as saying he had held out hope that Diana
would survive immediately after the crash.
"She was in a coma, but still alive," said Chevenement, who
was on hand at Saltpetriere hospital when the ambulance containing
Diana arrived. "Her face was intact. She was not at all
disfigured."
"At that moment, I never imagined that it was so serious and that
she would die a few hours later," he was quoted as saying.
Paris Match and the Daily Mail reported that Medjahdi was questioned
by investigators. Paris police would not confirm it, saying it was
their policy not to release witnesses' names.
Repeated attempts by The Associated Press to reach Medjahdi at a
telephone number listed for his home in suburban Paris were
unsuccessful.
WITNESS tells how Princess Diana died
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH
Paris - A witness to the crash that killed Princess Diana described a horrific
scene of screeching brakes, flying car parts and an impact that sounded
like an ... Reports: Witness
Tells of Horrifying Scene of Princess Diana's ...
<http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/107425261318740.xml>
(This site needs a subscription to view)
Witness describes driver of Fiat at scene of Princess Diana's crash, tabloid says
Saturday, January 17, 2004
(01-17) 17:43 PST LONDON (AP) --
A woman who witnessed the car crash in which Princess Diana
died has described the driver of a white Fiat she says was at the
scene and behaving strangely, according to a Sunday newspaper.
The People tabloid quoted Souad Mouffakir of Paris, saying she
had been in a car driven by Mohamed Medjahdi ahead of the
princess's Mercedes in a Paris road tunnel. Medjahdi was quoted by
a different newspaper on Thursday describing the accident and
saying there were no other cars there.
Tests have confirmed the Mercedes carrying Diana and her
companion, Dodi Fayed, had a brush with a Fiat Uno before crashing
in the tunnel Aug. 31, 1997. It is not known to what extent it
might have been involved in the crash. French police questioned
almost 3,000 owners of Fiat Unos.
Mouffakir is quoted as saying the Fiat came up very fast
alongside the car she was in, then slowed down so they were side
by side.
She described the driver as in his mid-thirties, Mediterranean,
"short because his head was only just above the steering
wheel," and with very dark brown, wiry hair.
"He had a very strange expression, like his mind was
thinking about something else," she was quoted as saying.
"I thought he was a madman."
She said she told Medjadhi to speed away and that "a
moment later we heard the screech of tires," the newspaper
said. She said she looked around and saw the Mercedes slide out of
control, come toward them, then hit a pillar.
"I looked for the Fiat but it had disappeared. The
Mercedes must have gone out of control trying to avoid it,"
she was quoted as saying.
The newspaper said Mouffakir had remained silent since 1997
because she was afraid of being killed, but it did not indicate
whom she feared.
It said she had split three years ago from Medjahdi.
He was quoted earlier this week as telling the Daily Mail
newspaper, "there was no other vehicle in my field of vision.
I saw no cars with the Mercedes, no photographers on motorbikes
around the car. There was no one."
A French court ruled the crash an accident caused by the
driver's speeding and drinking.
Last week, Britain's royal coroner launched the country's first
inquest into the deaths and asked police to examine a variety of
theories. Some people believe Diana was the victim of a
conspiracy, variously pointing to the royal family and
intelligence agencies.
SAN FRANCISCO NEWSPAPER
1/22/2004 11:52 AM
Head of Princess Diana
investigation says he may question Prince Charles
LONDON (AP) — London's police commissioner said
Thursday that his investigation of Princess Diana's
death could include questioning of Prince Charles.
Metropolitan Police
Commissioner Sir John Stevens, asked in a British
Broadcasting Corp. television interview if his
evidence-gathering would involve questioning the royal
family, replied, "If that's necessary, we'll do
that."
Asked if that could include
Prince Charles, he said "Absolutely."
Inquests were opened Jan. 6
into the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed
in an August 1997 Paris car crash.
The inquests follow lengthy
police investigations in France and a French judge's
conclusion that the crash was an accident caused by
the driver's speeding and being drunk. The driver,
Henri Paul, also was killed.
Some of Diana's admirers refuse
to believe the French verdict.
Royal coroner Michael Burgess
asked Stevens to look into theories that the princess
was the victim of a conspiracy, variously attributed
to the royal family and intelligence agencies.
The Daily Mirror newspaper
last month published a letter apparently written by
Diana to her butler, in which she claimed that her
ex-husband, Prince Charles, was plotting to kill her
in an auto accident.
The Daily Mirror itself
described the idea as "utterly preposterous to
many people" and said there was no evidence to
support the claim.
The royal coroner has adjourned
both inquests at least until early next year to give
him time to collect evidence, read the French police
reports and to give British police time to complete
their investigations.
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved.
Wed Sep 15, 2004
LONDON (Reuters) - James Hewitt, one-time lover of
Britain's late Princess Diana, has been cautioned
for possessing illegal drugs, police sources said on
Wednesday.
Hewitt was arrested at a west London bar in July
on suspicion of possessing a class "A"
drug, a category which includes cocaine and heroin
but police declined to give details on which drugs
were involved.
They said in a statement on Wednesday that a
46-year-old man had returned to Notting Hill police
station in west London in connection with an
incident in July.
"Following consultation with the Crown
Prosecution Service (he) received a caution for the
offence of possession of a class A drug," the
statement said.
Newspapers dubbed Hewitt a "rat" and
the "vilest man in Britain" after he sold
the story of his secret love affair with Diana as
her marriage to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles
publicly came apart.
Diana, who was later divorced from Charles and
who died in a Paris car crash in August 1997, was
said to have been "devastated" at his
public betrayal of their five-year affair.
After Diana's death, Hewitt also tried to sell
intimate love letters from her but failed to find a
buyer willing to pay the 10 million pound ($18.4
million) asking price.
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
NBC to air 'hidden' Diana video
Saturday, November 27, 2004 Posted: 8:07 AM EST
(1307 GMT)
 |
The tape was hidden for years after
Diana's death.
|
NEW YORK (Reuters) --
NBC television network will broadcast a
never-before-seen video tape of Diana, Princess of
Wales, next week in which she says she suspects a
member of her staff with whom she fell in love was
"bumped off."
NBC said on Friday the two-part program starting
next Monday includes excerpts of interviews Diana
recorded with communications consultant Peter
Settelen in her living room, discussing her
childhood, marriage and struggle with bulimia.
NEW
YORK (Reuters) -- NBC television
network will broadcast a
never-before-seen video tape of
Diana, Princess of Wales, next week
in which she says she suspects a
member of her staff with whom she
fell in love was "bumped
off."
NBC said on Friday the two-part
program starting next Monday
includes excerpts of interviews
Diana recorded with communications
consultant Peter Settelen in her
living room, discussing her
childhood, marriage and struggle
with bulimia.
Earlier this year NBC aired audio
tapes Diana secretly recorded for a
1992 book that exposed the turmoil
of her marriage to Prince Charles,
whom she divorced in 1996. The
princess was killed in a car crash
in Paris in 1997.
NBC said Diana met Settelen in
September 1992, in the aftermath of
the book by Andrew Morton, and had
engaged him to train her in public
speaking, a process that involved an
on-camera interview to inspire
confidence.
Excerpts of the program released
in advance include comments by Diana
on the lack of sympathy from her
mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth when
Diana went to her having discovered
that Prince Charles was having an
affair.
NBC said one section of the
interview was "on falling in
love with a member of her palace
staff, presumed to be Royal
Policeman Barry Mannakee, who was
killed in a motorcycle accident in
1987."
"It was all found out and he
was chucked out," Diana is
quoted as saying. "And then he
was killed. And that was the biggest
blow of my life, I must say. And I
think he was bumped off. But, um,
there we are. I don't ... we'll
never know, he was the greatest
fellow I've ever had."
The two-hour special, which also
features an interview with Settelen,
is to be broadcast in two parts, on
November 29 and December 6.
"This unusual tape, recorded
in Diana's living room, hidden for
years after her death, and fought
over for months in the British
courts, offers a view of the
princess quite different from the
formal public face she usually put
forth," NBC said.
Copyright 2004 Reuters.
All rights reserved.
The Diana Trial's
Last Surprise
Diana, Princess
of Wales with
Dodi Fayed in
the elevator at
the Ritz Hotel,
Paris, the
afternoon before
they both died.
AP
Six months of
testimony, 250
witnesses, a $6
million bill for the
British taxpayer, and
23 hours of
deliberation by the
jury have all boiled
down to one moment. On
April 7, at around
4.30pm London time,
five men and six women
delivered their
verdict on the deaths
of Diana, Princess of
Wales, and her
boyfriend Dodi
Al-Fayed, officially
closing the book on
what seemed a
never-ending story.
Their decision:
unlawful killing due
to the negligence of
the paparazzi and
driver Henri Paul.
Lord
Justice Scott
Baker and
others examine
the spot in
Paris where
the car of
P...
Love
letters,
in-laws,
tears. Now the
Diana inquest
is getting
personal.
Originally
instructed to emerge
with a unanimous
verdict, the jury was
deadlocked into the
fourth day of
deliberations. The
judge, coroner Scott
Baker, then told them
he would accept a
majority decision of
nine jurors. An hour
after that, they came
back with "unlawful
killing." In an
inquest of few real
surprises, this was
one of the biggest.
Most observers had
thought they would
agree with the
conclusions of the
French and British
police, ruling the
incident an accident.
But the jury decided
someone had to take
the blame.
The unlawful
killing verdict —
essentially a verdict
of manslaughter — was
the most serious of
the five available to
the jury. Before Baker
sent the jury out to
deliberate on April 2,
he laid out these
options for them:
1) Unlawful killing:
grossly negligent
driving of the
following vehicles
[the paparazzi]
2) Unlawful killing:
grossly negligent
driving of the
Mercedes [by Henri
Paul, who also died in
the crash]
3) Unlawful killing:
grossly negligent
driving of the
following vehicles and
of the Mercedes
4) Accidental death
5) Open verdict [none
of the above]
Not included was
the conspiracy theory
that Dodi's father,
Harrods owner Mohamed
Al-Fayed, has been
pushing from the
start, claiming that
Prince Philip had
ordered Britain's
intelligence service,
MI6, to orchestrate
the crash and kill the
two lovers. Baker
explained throughout
the entire inquest
that he had not seen
"a shred of evidence"
to prove that the Duke
of Edinburgh or the
British intelligence
service were behind
the crash, so he was
legally obliged not to
offer "staged
accident" as a
possible verdict. But
even with murder off
the table, the panel
decided to assign
responsiblity for the
death.
In their verdict,
nine of the jurors
agreed that "the crash
was caused or
contributed to by the
speed and manner of
driving of the
Mercedes, the speed
and manner of driving
of the following
vehicles [and] the
impairment of the
judgment of the driver
of the Mercedes
through alcohol." And
all eleven believed
that the fact that
Diana and Dodi weren't
wearing seat belts and
that the Mercedes hit
a pillar in the Pont
d'Alma tunnel, instead
of a larger surface
that might have
lessened the impact,
were major factors in
the deaths. Just as
Baker directed, the
jury delivered exactly
the same verdict for
both Diana and Dodi.
So what now? Well,
not much. While the
coroner recognized
that "unlawful killing
is a form of the very
serious crime of
manslaughter," the
inquest is not a
criminal trial. The
verdict can't be used
to launch a criminal
investigation or
prompt the pressing of
charges against any of
the paparazzi who are
still alive. (Even if
it could, Britain's
Crown Prosecution
can't prosecute
foreign nationals for
crimes committed
abroad, and all of the
paparazzi involved are
foreigners.)
The fact that
murder was never an
option to the jury is
a blow to Mohamed Al
Fayed, who at the
start of the inquest
said he would accept
the jury's verdict,
whatever it was. In a
statement read on his
behalf immediately
after the verdict was
delivered, he said he
was "disappointed,"
and that "The French
and [British]
inquiries were wrong
and these inquests
prove it." Taking a
jab at the coroner, he
criticized Baker's
"accusations against
me," adding "I feel
that my character and
beliefs... have been
on trial." He remains
convinced of
conspiracy. As he was
leaving the court, Al
Fayed told the waiting
press, "The most
important thing is it
is murder."
This may look a lot
like the closure that
so many have been
waiting for. But over
its six months, the
inquest brought up a
bunch of questions
that were never fully
answered: What
happened to the
letters that were in
Diana's keepsake box,
the letters that some
of her friends say
showed Prince Philip's
animosity towards the
Princess? Exactly how
serious was Diana and
Dodi's relationship?
Will Trevor Rees, the
only survivor of the
crash, ever remember
anything about what
happened?
For the Royal
Family, the British
courts, most of the
watching British
public and, possibly,
Al Fayed, this verdict
marks The End of a
long, exhausting and
bewildering saga. But
for anyone who likes
melodramas about
rebellious princesses,
it's just another
chapter.
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