Princess Diana, affectionately known as the People’s Princess, captured hearts worldwide with her compassion and dedication to ordinary citizens. Her influence on Britain and the Monarchy remains unforgettable.
Diana’s rise to fame began with her engagement to Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir to the British throne. Constantly under the media spotlight, her life was closely followed by paparazzi, who many believe contributed to her tragic death.
At the time of the fatal accident, Diana’s sons, Harry and William, were just 12 and 15 years old. She, along with her partner Dodi Fayed, driver Henri Paul, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, were involved in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris while attempting to escape paparazzi pursuit.
Xavier Gourmelon, one of the first responders at the scene, later shared details of that harrowing night. According to The Independent, Gourmelon described the chaotic scene: “The car was in a mess and we just dealt with it like any road accident. For me, this was simply a banal traffic accident, one of many that emergency services have to deal with, and it was the usual causes: speed and a drunk driver.”
Gourmelon noted that Diana appeared to have only a minor injury to her right shoulder and was otherwise free of visible blood. He reassured her, holding her hand and advising her to stay calm and still. As he assisted her, Diana, still conscious, uttered her final words: “My God, what’s happened?”
Despite initial hopes for her recovery, Diana succumbed to her injuries the following day at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Reports indicated she died from massive internal injuries and a ruptured blood vessel leading to severe internal bleeding.
Diana’s funeral was watched by 2.3 billion people worldwide, a testament to her profound impact. Her death left a nation and the world in mourning.
Mohamed Al-Fayed, whose son Dodi also perished in the crash, remains convinced that the incident was not accidental.
