Revisiting The Final Moments Of Princess Diana’s Life On Her Death Anniversary: From Tragic Paparazzi Chase To Fatal Car Crash

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As a dedicated follower and admirer of Princess Diana, I have always been captivated by her life story, particularly the tragic events that unfolded in the final hours before her untimely death. The latest trailer for Season 6 of The Crown has only intensified my fascination with this period, providing a glimpse into the chaos and heartbreak that surrounded Diana’s last moments.

On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana, wife of Prince Charles, met a tragic end as a result of a devastating car accident on the Pont de l’Alma bridge in Paris. This unfortunate event transpired during a high-speed pursuit by reporters. Henri Paul, their driver, unfortunately lost control of the vehicle which then collided with concrete.

1. Apart from her, the fatal accident also claimed the lives of Diana’s boyfriend Dodi and their driver Henri. To this day, investigations into Diana’s final moments remain intense. The Netflix series The Crown devotes its sixth season to this era, encompassing the years between 1997 and 2005. The show will also delve into the aftermath of the crash during that period.

The newest trailer for the upcoming season hints at the storyline surrounding the fateful accident, which would have been depicted in the series. In one scene, Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) and Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) are portrayed attempting to evade a horde of photographers before their tragic crash.

Looking back at the final hours of Princess Diana before her fatal car crash

In August 1997, it’s highly unlikely that there was someone on Earth who wasn’t familiar with Princess Diana. Over the last three decades, numerous investigations into her final hours and death have been conducted by police, researchers, media personnel, and enthusiasts.

Here is a timeline of the last few hours of Princess Diana:

In the late afternoon of August 30th, Diana and Dodi Fayed concluded a nine-day voyage along the French and Italian Riviera aboard Mohamed Al-Fayed’s yacht. They then arrived in France and checked into The Ritz, which was owned by Dodi’s father at that time, for an overnight stay before continuing to London. That afternoon, Diana visited a hairdresser, while Dodi went shopping and purchased a Repossi diamond engagement ring worth approximately 11600 pounds, intended for Princess Diana.

That evening, Dodi planned to present his proposal, but upon returning from The Ritz, they decided to visit Dodi’s apartment first, followed by the hotel restaurant. However, their plans were disrupted as they had to return to their suite by 10 pm due to a swarm of photographers. To evade them, they attempted to use a decoy car to distract the paparazzi and then depart at a later time.

Paparazzi hound Princess Di by chasing her car

As I stepped out of The Ritz at 12:19 am, my companions Dodi and Diana and I, we found ourselves in the midst of an unexpected challenge: relentless pursuit by reporters, their vehicles dogging our every move. Our driver, Henri Paul, was trying to navigate this predicament as best he could, but it seemed fate had other plans.

In an unfortunate incident I recently encountered as a lifestyle expert, the impact was so immense that the vehicle was utterly devastated. Miraculously, Trevor Rees-Jones, our clients’ bodyguard, managed to survive the collision, thanks to the protective measure of seatbelts during the collision. Regrettably, Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed, and Henri Paul were not as fortunate, with reports of smoke and numerous flashbulbs lighting up the crash site.

A short while later, both the police and an ambulance made their appearance. It turned out that Dodi had perished at the location, whereas Diana seemed to be breathless yet disoriented, suggesting she might have been alive but in a confused state.

Princess Diana declared dead at hospital few hours after the crash

In the unfortunate incident in 2007, as reported by The Times, Diana sustained injuries including a dislocated shoulder, fractured ribs, and a broken arm. Due to severe shock, she required restraints and medication before medical treatment could begin.

Approximately at 1:00 am on the accident site, Lady Di suffered a cardiac arrest. After being resuscitated, she was revived successfully. By 2:00 am, she had been transported to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. However, once she arrived at the hospital, her condition could not be stabilized as her heart had been displaced due to the accident and it had torn in certain areas, resulting in a fatal outcome.

3:00 am marked the time when it was officially announced that Diana, Princess of Wales, had passed away. This information was shared with the global media during a press conference held at 6:00 am.

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2024-08-31 17:07