Whenever anyone in the public eye dies prematurely, the conspiracy theorists have a field day and it is amplified if the person in question was a controversial figure. Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Elvis Presley and John Lennon are just a few of those whose deaths have sparked curiosity and intrigue. There will always be people out there who believe that there is more to things than meets the eye and that sinister forces are at work. Even people who are still alive are not immune from conspiracy theories surrounding their deaths – just ask Paul McCartney.
But while some conspiracy theories are obviously sheer fantasy, others can appear to be credible and refuse to go away. The fact that it is more than nine years since Princess Diana was killed in a car crash and the debate over what “really” happened is still going strong, indicates her death falls into the latter category.
Switched blood samples
There are all sorts of rumours surrounding what happened in the run up to that fateful night in Paris on August 31, 1997. It has been suggested that Diana was pregnant with the baby of Dodi Al Fayed, who also died in the crash, along with their driver Henri Paul. There has been talk that Diana and Dodi planned to marry and that their deaths were brought about by MI6 officers working for the Royal Family, who didn’t want Dodi to become Prince William’s stepfather. It has been alleged that blood samples were switched during the initial investigation as part of a cover up operation to make it appear as though Henri Paul was drunk and lost control of the car while being chased at high-speed by the world’s paparazzi. There were reports of a white Fiat Uno colliding with Diana’s car prior to the accident and the car has never been traced. The American secret service is understood to have been bugging Diana’s private telephone conversations and speculation has been rife that Henri Paul was deliberately blinded by a beam just before the crash.
The theories go on and on. But there is one man who will not let it rest. Dodi’s father, Mohammed Al Fayed, the owner of Harrods, is convinced Diana, his son and Henri Paul were murdered. On his personal website Mohammed Al Fayed says: “I have no doubt that MI6 officers were involved in the murders of Diana and Dodi, and their chauffeur that night in August 1997, Henri Paul. That is why I wrote to Mr Murphy (chairman of a body called the Intelligence and Security Committee) asking him to use his authority to investigate the role of MI6 in the murders. I also asked him to question the Prime Minister and his senior henchmen about their role in what was the most cruel and callous state crime committed in the twentieth century. I also suggested he interviews members of the Royal family who could not have been unaware that the mother of the future King was to be eliminated in such an appalling act of vengeance, just because she fell in love with my son.”
Tragic accident
Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens was charged with heading up Operation Paget, a two-year investigation into the accident. Lord Stevens tried to establish if the security services had any knowledge of the circumstances leading up to Diana’s death. His investigation was ordered by royal coroner Michael Burgess, despite an initial French inquiry, which claimed the crash was a tragic accident brought about by Henri Paul driving too fast while under the influence of drink and medication. Burgess believed a thorough investigation by British police would be the only way to finally put to rest some of the conspiracy theories.
Burgess could not have hoped for a better return from the investigation. Lord Stevens’ report dismisses each and every conspiracy theory outright. The 400-page report reaches the same conclusion as a the initial French investigation – it was an accident caused by Henri Paul, who was driving at up to 100mph, was more than three times over the French drink-drive limit and had traces of tranquilliser drugs in his body. It is understood that DNA tests have ruled out the possibility that blood samples were switched. Lord Stevens also dismisses the possibility of Diana being pregnant, citing both forensic evidence and the testimony of Rosa Monckton, the princess's closest friend, who said Diana’s menstrual cycle had started just 10 days before the crash. Monckton also said Diana had no plans to marry Dodi and his friends are understood to have confirmed that.
The report reveals that while Henri Paul, whose bank accounts exceeded the levels his salary could provide, had ties to the French secret service he was not linked to British Intelligence in any way. It also indicates that the American secret service was keeping Diana under surveillance and bugging her calls. Lord Stevens’ report places more blame on the chasing paparazzi than the initial investigation did but it gives no credibility to the involvement in the tragedy of the mysterious white car, which remains untraced. The inquiry concludes that any potential assassin would have needed details of Diana’s car and travel plans in advance, but that this was not possible as both her car and arrangements were changed at the last minute in a bid to give the world’s press the slip.
No conspiracy
It took an estimated 400 witnesses and 20,000 documents, but the conclusion is that there was no conspiracy and no murder. Surely that must now mean that a line can be drawn under the whole episode and after more than nine years everyone can move on? Lord Stevens' report came in the same week that Princes William and Harry announced plans for a tribute concert next year to mark the 10th anniversary of their mother’s death. The findings of the investigation should allow the two princes to look forward to that concert as a celebration of Diana’s life, without having the past dug up time and time again with rumours suggesting members of their own family were responsible for their mother’s death. Two investigations have, after all, come to the same conclusion. Shouldn’t we just accept that accidents do happen and lay the conspiracy theories to rest?
While Lord Stevens’ report might go some way to achieving this, it will not put a stop to it once and for all. Mohammed Al Fayed, for one, will not be deterred from his campaign to get what he believes is justice for his son. Al Fayed has already expressed concerns that Lord Stevens was investigating the crash on behalf of the royal coroner, rather than the House of Commons, and as a result, although he was granted some access to security service personnel and files, he was not given sufficient access to establish the truth. You can’t blame Al Fayed for his desire to continue fighting for another investigation, but for as long as he does, the conspiracy theories will keep on running and the two young princes will constantly be reminded of the tragic death of their mother.
