Who killed Diana. Five main versions of the death of Princess Diana

On the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, the world is learning more and more sensational and often shocking facts about the life of the idol of millions. Thus, news that had not been heard before caused a stir today: a seriously ill 80-year-old British counterintelligence agent Mi-5 John Hopkins made a sensational statement about the tragic death of Princess Diana.

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Recently, audio recordings of Princess Diana were transcribed, where she admitted that, that she was, and also until the last. Unfortunately, Princess Diana did not live long. Let us remind you that she died in a car accident that occurred in Paris on August 30, 1997. But now the intelligence officer, who had less than two weeks to live, decided to ease his soul with a confession before his death. According to Agent Hopkins, it was he who organized the murder of Princess Diana.

According to Neonnettle, Agent Hopkins participated in 23 covert operations in the UK from 1973 to 1999. Politicians, journalists and social activists became its victims. Only one woman was among them: Princess Diana. Adding to the shock of the story is the fact that Hopkins, in his own words, acted on instructions from Buckingham Palace. Like, she knew too much then and was a serious threat to the British monarchy.

In addition, she was filled with a desire for revenge, and she could address the public with any statements. My boss told me she would have to die: he had orders from Prince Philip. I had to orchestrate everything so that everyone would think there had been a car accident.

In the end, that's what happened. The British jury returned a verdict: the tragedy occurred due to the driver’s negligence. While under the influence of alcohol and antidepressants, Henri Paul lost control of his car in the Alma tunnel.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Born Diana Frances Spencer, she died at the age of 36, a year after divorcing her first and only legal husband, Prince Charles. Princess Diana was one of the most popular women in the world. She was called "Lady Di", "people's princess", "queen of hearts". On the night of August 31, 1997, the “People's Princess” died in a car accident in an underground tunnel under Place Alma in Paris. Was it murder or an accident? Until now, the answer to this question excites the hearts and minds of many people.

Paparazzi

The first version of the death of Princess Diana, which was expressed by the investigation: several reporters who were riding scooters were to blame for the accident. They were chasing Diana's black Mercedes, and one of them may have interfered with the princess's car. The Mercedes driver, trying to avoid a collision, crashed into a concrete bridge support.

But, according to eyewitnesses, they entered the tunnel a few seconds after Diana’s Mercedes, which means they could not have caused the accident.

According to lawyer Virginie Bardet, in fact there is no evidence of the photographers' guilt.

Mystery car

The investigation put forward another version: the cause of the accident was a car, which by that time was already in the tunnel. In the immediate vicinity of the crashed Mercedes, detective police discovered fragments of a Fiat Uno.

When interviewing eyewitnesses, the police allegedly found out that a white Fiat Uno drove out of the tunnel in a zigzag a few seconds after the accident. Moreover, the driver looked not at the road, but in the rearview mirror, as if he saw something, for example, a crashed car.

The detective police also determined the exact characteristics of the car, its color and year of manufacture. But, even having information about the car and a description of the driver’s appearance, the investigation was unable to find either the car or the driver.

Frances Gillery, the author of her own independent investigation into the death of Lady Di, once wrote: “All the cars of this brand in the country were checked, but none of them had traces of a similar collision. The white Fiat Uno seemed to disappear into thin air! And eyewitnesses of the accident, those who saw him began to get confused in the testimony, from which it was not clear whether the white Fiat was at the scene of the tragedy at the ill-fated moment.”

It is also interesting that the version about the white Fiat that allegedly caused the accident was not made public immediately, but only two weeks after the incident.

British intelligence services

Later, other details of the accident became known and more and more new versions of the death of Princess Diana were put forward.

For example, as many media reported, when a black Mercedes drove into the tunnel, suddenly the twilight was cut by a bright flash of light, so strong that everyone who observed it was blinded for several seconds. And a moment later, the silence of the night is shattered by the squeal of brakes and the sound of a terrible impact.

According to the media, the version was spread at the suggestion of one former agent of the British intelligence services, who said that the circumstances of the death of Princess Diana reminded him of the plan to assassinate Slobodan Milosevic, developed by the British intelligence services. They were going to blind the Yugoslav president in the tunnel with a powerful flash.

A few months later, British and French newspapers published a sensational statement by former British intelligence agent Richard Tomplison that the latest laser weapons, which are in service with the intelligence services, may have been used in the Alma tunnel.

After this statement, the media suggested that the fragments of the Fiat were planted by those who prepared this accident in advance and wanted to disguise it as a regular accident. The press insisted for a long time that these were British intelligence services.

"Lucky" photographer

There is another version associated with the mysterious Fiat. The media version is that the fragments of the Fiat were planted by those who prepared this accident in advance and wanted to disguise it as a regular accident.

There were rumors in the press that the intelligence services knew that the white Fiat would definitely be next to Princess Diana's car that night. It was in the white Fiat that one of the most famous and successful paparazzi in Paris, James Andanson, drove.

The media suggested that the services simply could not prove the involvement of the photographer and his car in the accident, although they really hoped. Andanson was indeed in the tunnel that night. True, according to some of his colleagues who were at the Ritz Hotel on the evening of August 30, 1997, this was a rare case when the photographer arrived at work without a car. Andanson repeatedly came to the attention of the al-Fayed family's security service, and for them, of course, it was no secret that Andanson was not only a successful photographer. Al-Fayed's security service allegedly managed to obtain evidence that the photographer was an agent of the British intelligence service. But Dodi’s father, for some reason, now does not consider it necessary to present them to the investigation. James Andanson was not a random figure in this tragedy.

Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed

Andanson was seen in the tunnel, and he was actually one of the first there. They also saw a car at the scene of the tragedy that was very similar to his car, albeit with different license plates, possibly fake.

After the accident, Andanson, without even waiting for the outcome, when a crowd had just begun to gather in the tunnel, suddenly disappears. Literally in the middle of the night - at 4 o'clock in the morning - he flies from Paris on the next flight to Corsica.

Some time later, in the French Pyrenees, his body will be found in a burnt car. While the police are establishing the identity of the deceased, unknown persons steal all the papers, photographs and computer disks related to the death of Princess Diana from the office of his Parisian photo agency.

The media assumed that if this was not a fatal coincidence, then Andanson was eliminated either as an unwanted witness or as a perpetrator of the murder.

Drunk Driver

On July 5, 1999, almost two years later, newspapers from all over the world published a sensational statement from the investigation: the main blame for what happened in the Alma tunnel lies with the Mercedes driver Henri Paul. He was the chief of security at the Ritz Hotel and also died in this disaster. Investigators accused him of driving drunk.

The statement that the driver was drunk sounded like a bolt from the blue. The examination data, indicating a state of severe intoxication, was ready within 24 hours after the autopsy. But this was officially announced only two years later. For 24 months, the investigation worked on the obviously weaker version of the guilt of the paparazzi or the presence of the Fiat Uno.

Jacques Mules, who was the first representative of the investigative authorities to arrive at the scene of the tragedy, said that a blood test showed the true state of affairs, which means that Henri Paul was indeed very drunk. According to him, before leaving the Ritz, Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed were nervous. But the main thing that indicated an accident was the presence of alcohol - 1.78 ppm in the blood of the driver, Mr. Henri Paul, and in addition, the fact that he was taking antidepressants.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

0 18 August 2017, 12:30

Princess Diana died in a car accident on August 31, 1997, in a tunnel in front of the Alma Bridge on the Seine. This event was one of the greatest shocks in the history of modern Britain. The former representative of the royal family was mourned not only by Foggy Albion, but by the whole world. And, of course, the British expected an instant reaction from Elizabeth II (and the entire royal family), but she decided to remain silent. Why did the Queen react this way to the death of Prince Charles's ex-wife? the site decided to remember how Elizabeth II behaved when she learned about the death of Lady Di.

On August 31, Elizabeth II received an alarming call. The voice on the other end of the line announced that Princess Diana had died from multiple injuries sustained in the accident. The Queen learned that at that fateful moment, the ex-wife of her son, Prince Charles, was with her new boyfriend, the son of Egyptian billionaire Dodi al-Fayed. They both died. The last day of summer 1997 was the last in Diana's life.

After the accident, she remained alive for some time: she was taken to one of the oldest hospitals in Paris, the Salpêtrière. She was unconscious, but continued to breathe. The doctors hoped that they could help the princess. Two hours later, doctors reported Diana’s death.

All of Britain could not recover from the shock and believe what had happened. Of course, everyone expected that Elizabeth II would speak to them in the near future, but she never came out to the people.

As it turned out, at that very time the Queen, along with her son Prince Charles and grandchildren, 15-year-old William and 12-year-old Harry, were on vacation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The news of Diana's death found them there. The news shocked all members of the royal family. According to the recollections of close friends of the royal family, for some time the queen refused to go down to the guests, citing poor health.

It is alleged that it was Prince Charles who told his sons that their mother was no more. There was deathly silence in the house; no one could find words. Elizabeth II went down to the boys and went with them to the local church. She tried to support her grandchildren, but at the same time behaved with maximum restraint.

Several days passed, and the British rebelled: they could not understand why Elizabeth II stayed for such a long time in Scotland. The people demanded that the queen give an official speech.

Only later did it become known that Elizabeth II was in no hurry to return to London, because she wanted to protect her family from pressure from the public for a while. And she herself was not ready to share her thoughts about everything that happened.

Seeing the Queen's initially aloof reaction, some suggested that she might have been involved in Diana's death. It was suspected that Elizabeth II had personal motives and had long wanted to remove the princess from the royal list. It is difficult to judge what is actually true and what is not. Speculation and speculation among the public created a lot of noise until Elizabeth appeared at Buckingham Palace.

Insiders said that the Queen was very worried before she recorded her official address to the British. Her speech was prepared in advance, and she read the text over a teleprompter.

Elizabeth's touching words, despite all their restraint, melted the hearts of negatively minded Englishmen. They listened to their queen's every word.

This is a very big loss for the whole country. I come before you as a queen and as a grandmother. Diana was an exceptional person. She never lost her optimism, always laughing and smiling. She inspired those around her with her warmth and kindness,

— Elizabeth II said in a video message.

The Queen also noted that Princes William and Harry are holding up well during this difficult time and are behaving very dignified in the current situation.

But still, many did not like it: the queen’s performance was considered too restrained and devoid of any obvious emotions. Elizabeth II remained unperturbed and did not react to criticism addressed to her.

Only 15 years later, the queen's cousin, Margaret Rhodes, who was very close to Elizabeth, told CNN in an interview that the monarch could not return to London immediately. She understood perfectly well that this would not benefit her grandchildren.

She was harshly criticized for staying at Balmoral with the boys... But she behaved like a real grandmother. What was the point of bringing grandchildren to London if they found themselves in an atmosphere that would only remind them of their mother’s death? I think I would have behaved exactly the same in her place,

Rhodes said.

Margaret’s words somewhat softened her attitude towards that story, but still did not provide answers to the necessary questions. In 2017, a letter from Elizabeth was published, which she wrote five days after Diana’s death. The Queen addressed it to her assistant Henrietta Lady Abel Smith.

Thank you for offering your condolences on the death of Diana... It really is very, very difficult. She was the biggest loss for the country... William and Harry behaved so bravely, so courageously, that I am very proud of them... There are so many different emotions fighting inside me, but I understand that we must cope with all this,

— wrote Elizabeth II.

What actually happened at the royal residence in Scotland in those first seven days after Diana's death still remains a mystery. But this is not the main thing: the memory of Diana is still alive. Many Britons continue to call her their princess. The nation's love for Lady Di is so great that even today she is an example to follow.

Photo GettyImages.ru

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Princess Diana of Wales was one of the most photographed women in the world

The death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the public response to the tragedy shook the House of Windsor.

Twenty years later, a bloodless coup took place in the palace. All members of the royal family are still in place, but the center of influence has shifted.

At the beginning of August this year, the Queen's personal secretary, Sir Christopher Heidt, who had been with her for many years, left his post. This means that the eldest son of Elizabeth II will now be able to largely determine in which direction the British monarchy will move.

Internal changes in the palace are of interest only to the inner circle of courtiers, but are of little concern to everyone else.

But still, the recent changes should please Prince Charles. The heir to the throne, having waited so long for his turn, looks much more satisfied and less worried.

He is still passionate about bringing about change, and his passionate commitment to fighting climate change has been embraced by the mainstream.

Once laughed at for the prince's habit of talking to plants and trees, today he is praised for his desire to save the planet.

Every year now his mother will do less and less, and he will do more.

Its horizon is no longer so cloudy.

This horizon was once clouded by clouds of scandals in the Welsh household, chief among them his televised admission of adultery and leaked comments about women's tampons.

Long-term influence

Illustration copyright Getty Images

But it's not that simple. Whatever agreements were reached between him and his first wife during her lifetime did not stand the test of her death.

Diana's ghost haunts Charles.

A recent opinion poll commissioned by the Press Association news agency found that the number of people who consider the Prince of Wales's contribution to the Royal Family to be positive has fallen from 60% to 36%.

This survey was conducted at a time when it was difficult not to remember Charles's painful past.

Newspapers and television channels have recently been talking all the time about the influence that Princess Diana has had on various areas of life - from the world of fashion to the British monarchy.

The dense media coverage of this topic for an entire month would likely have baffled anyone under 25 and would have baffled a visiting Martian.

Charles's many fans will say that Diana's shadow, which adversely affects his popularity, will dissipate every year.

But 20 years later, her influence is still great.

Public anger

The Queen was the first to understand Diana's significance, a few days before her funeral in 1997.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption The Queen was criticized for her silence immediately after Diana's death

The empty flagpole of Buckingham Palace and the Queen's protracted stay at her Scottish residence Balmoral did not go unnoticed, and it could not continue this way.

Her Majesty returned to London. "She relented. I was surprised," one former senior member of her secretariat said in a BBC documentary.

In her televised address to the nation, the Queen promised to learn lessons from Diana's life.

The guardian of the ancient institution of power tried not to find herself on the other side of public opinion. The week following the death of the Princess of Wales was the worst of the Queen's reign.

She doesn't want a second week like this.

Fans of the princess believe that the court's behavior all these years was aimed not only at protecting itself, but also at making sure that the memory of Diana would fade away and not dominate the life of the House of Windsor.

None of the representatives of the royal family came to the opening of the garden in her memory in 2000.

For two decades it was understood that this woman, who died at 36, could not be set in stone.

But now her sons have taken over. A monument to Diana will be unveiled soon. The princes, who mourned her alone as children, now as adults, are doing everything to keep her memory alive.

William and Harry in numerous interviews, and how she fought for justice and for her beliefs, which her sons also share.

"Exceptional and irreplaceable"

Those who look for signs of Diana's enduring influence and relevance today find it in how whole her children became and how comfortable they were in public.

But you have to pay for everything. Princes who live in the palace, but as children ate hamburgers with their mother outside it, can hardly accept that an ordinary, normal life is no longer for them.

Illustration copyright PA Image caption Princes William and Harry were just 15 and 12 years old respectively when they lost their mother

Once upon a time, the Queen accepted the fact that her private life could only take place within the confines of her vast estates. But her grandchildren periodically rebel against such restrictions.

In addition to wanting to experience life outside the palace, Diana's sons also share her ambivalence towards the media. She welcomed the press and tried to tame it. But she didn't succeed.

One fact will remain unchanged for the princes: photographers chased their mother into a Paris tunnel while a tipsy driver rushed her to her premature death.

Diana's influence on the British monarchy remains very strong. Perhaps it will weaken somewhat by the time King Charles, whose wife still has a chance to become Queen Camilla, comes to the throne.

The 30th anniversary of Diana's death may not be as significant a date as the current one.

But at the moment, she continues to be mourned by both her loved ones and those who never met her. As her brother Earl Spencer put it in his eulogy, she was “a unique, complex, exceptional and irreplaceable Diana.”