The Day Princess Diana Died

November 15, 2024 | Sammy Tran

The Day Princess Diana Died


What Really Happened? 

For years, there have been questions about who was responsible for the tragic crash that claimed Princess Diana’s life. Now, we finally have all the answers.

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Diana And Dodi 

Princess Diana had spent nine days on the French and Italian Riviera with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, before the fateful decision to fly to Paris. The yacht was owned by Fayed’s father, businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

En Route To London

Once they landed in Paris en route to London, the couple headed to the Hôtel Ritz, owned by Fayed’s father. The plan was to fly to London the next day.

PRINCESS DIANA looking at side.John Mathew Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Change Of Plans

After settling in at the hotel, they wanted to dine out, but decided to cancel their plans in order to avoid the paparazzi that were constantly trailing them. Instead, they would head to the apartment that Fayed's father owned close to the Hôtel Ritz.

The Driver Is Called

Mohamed Al-Fayed called the Hôtel Ritz’s acting security head, Henri Paul, and told him to drive Diana and Dodi over to his place. Unfortunately, Paul had been drinking in the hotel bar since finishing work three hours earlier. Investigators pointed to this fact as critical to the events that would happen next.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

An Attempted Diversion

A car with Diana’s two bodyguards left the front of the hotel in an attempt to trick photographers into following the decoy car.

The Princess Diana Is Casually Dressed In A Sweatshirt With The British Lung Foundation Logo On The Front - 1988Tim Graham, Getty Images

Just After Midnight 

Meanwhile, at the back of the hotel, Diana and Dodi Fayed got into a 1994 black Mercedes-Benz S280, along with Dodi’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. It was 20 minutes after midnight.

Mercedes-Benz S-Classemirhankaramuk, Shutterstock

Catch Me If You Can’t

It's reported that as Paul drove off, he told the paparazzi, “Don't try to follow us—you won't be able to catch up”. 

Private Investigators Find factsShutterstock

Four-Minute Trip To Tragedy

It was a four-minute journey from the hotel to the underpass that would prove so deadly.

Skyline of ParisCatarina Belova, Shutterstock

Speeding At The Tunnel

As Paul entered the tunnel beneath the Pont D’Alma bridge, he was traveling around 65 mph (105 km/h), or around twice the speed limit of 31 mph (50 km/h).

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

The Mystery Car

Diana’s car may then have been hit by a taxi cab—a white Fiat Uno—but controversy swirls about the suspected driver. What is known for sure is that Diana’s car swerved back and forth in the tunnel before hitting a pillar.

car crashes 1970sUrbán Tamás, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons

Narrow Column, Big Impact

The pillar’s narrow width meant the car couldn’t properly crumple and absorb the power of the impact. The vehicle then slammed into a stone wall.

Princess Diana FactsShutterstock

A Doctor Called For Help

An off-duty French doctor happened to be driving by. He stopped and called for an ambulance. He later said Diana was breathing, had a few drops of blood on her forehead, but had no obvious facial injuries.

Princess Diana - Royal Visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia - June 1983Russ Quinlan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Two Passengers Pronounced Deceased 

Henri Paul, in the driver’s seat, and Dodi Fayed, in the left back seat, would be pronounced deceased at the scene.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

The Photographers Catch Up

Diana reportedly mumbled, “Leave me alone!” when the photographers who’d been in pursuit showed up. In her confused state, she also ripped an intravenous drip out of her arm.

Princess Diana Facts Diana, Princess of Wales gives a speechAnwar Hussein, Getty Images

Diana Is Removed From The Car

After being sedated, she was moved from the car wreck, but went into her first cardiac arrest before she could be put into the ambulance.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

She Was Taken To Hospital

After working on Diana for 40 minutes at the crash scene, the ambulance crew headed off to the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital. They had to stop the ambulance at one point to try to stabilize her.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

Another Cardiac Arrest

Unconscious when she got to the hospital, Diana suffered a second cardiac arrest at 2:10am.

Princess Diana FactsFlickr, Robert Sullivan

She’d Been Facing Dodi Fayed

Because Diana’s injuries were more severe on her right side, it’s believed she was facing Dodi Fayed when the crash happened. 

Royal familyShutterstock

Heart-Wrenching Impact

The force of the impact pushed Diana’s heart to the right, tearing a pulmonary vein and damaging the sac surrounding her heart. In the end, her injuries proved too severe for doctors to overcome.

Royal Visit Of Prince Charles And Princess Diana To Edmonton, AlbertaProvincial Archives of Alberta, Wikimedia Commons

A Lost Battle

Diana was pronounced deceased at the hospital at 4am. She was only 36 years old.

Prince William FactsGetty Images

The World Grieves

A shocked world learned of her passing from a hospital anesthetist, who announced the news at six in the morning. The world’s media exploded with the news, and not just because of the grief—the finger-pointing could now begin.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

Was The Driver To Blame? 

French authorities conducted an extensive investigation, and concluded that driver Henri Paul was to blame, as tests had shown a blood alcohol level well above the lawful limit, with medications also present in his body.

Chilling Confessions factsPixabay

The Survivor Has Few Memories

Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi Fayed's bodyguard who’d been in the front passenger seat, survived. Unfortunately, he suffered a head trauma in the crash and remembered little about the tragic incident.

Trevor Rees Gives Evidence At Diana InquestDaniel Berehulak/Getty Images

The Paparazzi Were Off The Hook

Controversially, French officials concluded that the swarm of photographers chasing Diana’s car did not contribute to the crash.

Lupe Vélez FactsShutterstock

Wearing No Seat Belts

Officials also concluded that if Diana and Dodi Fayed had been wearing seat belts, they would’ve survived. With the French authorities having delivered their verdict, it was time for English investigators to draw their own conclusions.

Film Producer Dodi al FayedAaron Rapoport, Getty Images

Time For A New Look

The Royal Coroner, with the help of London’s Metropolitan Police, conducted his own investigation.

Cops Ridiculous Excuses factsShutterstock

The Taxi Car Didn't Matter

A collision expert concluded that Paul had lost control of the car well before the underpass, making the clipping of another car in the tunnel irrelevant.

Cars driving at nightEliel Frances Etruiste, Pexels

Driver’s Blame Reinforced

In 2008, the Royal Coroner concluded—as had the French—that driver Henri Paul was to blame, with his drinking that night being a major factor.

The Eiffel tower and the business district of La Defense are seen by night on December 03, 2016 in Paris, France. Chesnot/Getty Images

The Paparazzi Weren't In The Clear

However, the English report also pointed the finger at the pursuing photographers for the “unlawful killing” of Diana. The Royal Coroner agreed that not wearing seat belts had also been a factor in the deaths.

The Craziest Thing That Ever Happened To MePexels

Can’t Say If It Was Murder

Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker made no judgment one way or the other about conspiracy theories that Diana had been murdered. He said there was insufficient evidence to decide.

Diana; her true story, a book written by Andrew Morton about the late princess Diana.Chema Grenda, Shutterstock

The World Wept

Back to the tragic night, as the world first learned of Diana’s passing, there was an immense outpouring of grief. Some sources estimate that Diana’s funeral was viewed by 2.5 billion people around the world.

In an overwhelming outpouring of grief and sympathy, over one million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, and St. James's Palace after the tragic automobile accident on August 31, 1997 in which Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed. The flowers, stuffed animals, and even bottles of champagne were collected and distributed to children and to the sick and elderly in hospitals and homes. Cards and signs, such as the one in this image, are being kept and preserved by the Spencer family until they decide how to display them. Peter Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Mourners Traveled From Around The World

Major international figures attended the funeral, including royalty, government leaders, and celebrities.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

“Goodbye England’s Rose”

Elton John sang a new version of “Candle In The Wind” in honor of the fallen princess. 

Sir Elton John sings 'Candle in the Wind' at the funeral if Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997 in LondonAnwar Hussein, Getty Images

In The Procession

In one of the more poignant scenes from that day, Prince William and Prince Harry walked in the procession behind the coffin.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles walk outside Westminster Abbey during the funeral service for Diana, Princess of Wales, 06 September.Jeff J. Mitchell/AFP via Getty Images

A Rosary From Mother Teresa

Diana was buried on an island at the Spencer family estate. In her hands had been placed a rosary given to her by Mother Teresa, who had passed on just days after Diana.

Mother Teresa Photograph taken at St Aloysius Church Washington, DCKingkongphoto, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Charles Remarries

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer had married in 1981, separated in 1992, and divorced just over a year before her demise. After many years of testing the waters, Charles was able to marry the woman he’d wanted to marry all along, Camilla Parker Bowles, in 2005. He was crowned King Charles III in 2022 at the age of 73.

Prince William FactsGetty Images

The Children Grow Up

Prince Harry was 12 when his mother passed on, and he’s said he fell into a deep depression after her passing. He would eventually part ways with the royal family and publish a tell-all book called Spare. Prince William, aged 15 when his mother passed on, is now first in line for the throne since his father became King.

Meghan Markle FactsGetty Images

The Legacy Of A Princess

Princess Diana, in life, was a polarizing figure, praised for her humanitarian work, but people took sides on who was to blame for the breakup between her and Prince Charles. The outpouring of grief and the public criticism of royal stiffness pushed the royal family to open up, a lasting legacy of this larger-than-life personality whose time was cut far too short.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images


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