- I feel like I am trapped in my own life
just like we're trapped in this car.
Look at them Dodi, look, they're chasing us.
They'll do whatever it takes to get those goddamn photos.
You know, sometimes I dream about simple things,
walking in the park, driving my kids to school,
not needing protection.
I guess I am asking for too much
and there's no turning back.
I guess...
What's this, Oh, oh my God Dodi
- [Narrator] August 31st, 1997
Diana, the Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris
under suspicious circumstances.
In this episode,
we're going to review the events leading up to the crash
and show you our version of what actually happened.
(upbeat music)
Born into the British nobility
and growing up close to the Royal Family,
In 1981, Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles
heir to the British throne.
Charles was going to be the next king
and Diana the next queen of the United Kingdom.
But the universe had other plans
and the Royal couples separated in 1996
to pursue their own lives.
Like a Phoenix that rose from the ashes,
recently divorced and divested of her Royal title.
Diana became one of the most influential women of her time.
A style icon, a humanitarian ambassador, a newsmaker
the whole world was looking forward to
what would be the next move of the queen of people's hearts.
Her next move was falling in love with Dodi Al Fayed.
A successful film producer
and a son of an Egyptian billionaire.
In July and August of 97,
their brief love story was playing out
against the glittering Mediterranean backdrop.
At 36, Diana was on the brink of a new life
with a new lover after many troubled years.
Just a few weeks later, both Diana and Dodi were dead.
Their Mercedes-Benz crashed into the 13th pillar
of the Alma tunnel in the heart of Paris.
Apparently no one had seen the accident.
Traffic surveillance cameras didn't capture any videos
or photos of the actual crash.
This became the perfect ground
for conspiracy theories and speculation.
We're going to fast forward all of the noise
and base our story on the report of Operation Paget.
The British Metropolitan Police inquiry established in 2004
to investigate princess Diana's death.
To date, it remains the most comprehensive
and trusted source of information about the crash
So Paris,
August, 1997,
Diana and Dodi are enjoying a short stay at the Ritz hotel
owned by Dodi's father.
The only problem, paparazzi
they were everywhere,
in front of the hotel at the rear exit,
in nearby restaurants,
some even managed to sneak into the hotel past security.
Why?
Diana's photos were in high demand.
Just a few weeks ago,
the picture known as the kiss brought $1 million
to the photographer who took it.
Eventually the paparazzi managed to upset the VIP couple
with their intrusive behavior.
And instead of spending the night
at the Ritz as they originally planned
Diana and Dodi decided to move to a more private location.
Luckily Dodi's apartment is within a five minute drive
from the Ritz.
At around 12:20 AM,
Mercedes S280 with Diana, Dodi and their body guard
is taking off from the hotel.
Ritz's acting head of security, Henri Paul
volunteers to drive them to Dodi's place.
Henri is not a professional chauffer
but you know, Dodi's father owns the hotel.
So he knows what he's doing.
As the Mercedes takes off,
at least 10 cars and three motorbikes with paparazzi
are starting the pursuit.
But Henri has got a plan.
He knows they can't escape the chase
but he'll beat them on speed.
He just needs a straight road.
Henri drives along the Rue Cambon
to the junction with Rue de Rivoli
then turns right heading into the Place de la Concorde
and his brilliant plan fails
they're being held at a traffic light
and the paparazzi have already caught up with them.
- Oh gosh, this is ridiculous.
Is there anything we can do about it?
"What will Dodi tell his father about me
that I couldn't even get the fricking paparazzi
off son's back?
Well, we shall see, give me few."
Henri Paul's thinking to himself.
alcohol, drugs and anxiety start kicking in.
Yeah, Henri had a little too much to drink tonight
but not only that he mixed alcohol
with two prescription drugs, Prozac and Tipridride.
He's holding himself professionally
so no one in the car notices anything
but he's bursting with euphoria
and a feeling of invulnerability.
But in reality, his reflexes and reaction time are slowed,
his vision is impaired particularly at night
and while driving at high speeds.
Because the eye's pupil
accommodates changes in the field of vision more slowly.
Henri can't wait to hit the gas pedal.
Green light, the Mercedes engine roars off rapidly
and continues towards the embankment road of the River Seine
avoiding the more direct route
of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées
to beat the Saturday night traffic in that area.
Finally Diana's car reaches the straight road
with no traffic lights and the speedometer goes 50, 60, 70.
They've left everyone else behind.
Now the black Mercedes is approaching the Alma tunnel.
Seconds remain before the crash.
Let's pause here for a moment
and take a closer look at this part of their route.
See how the main road bends to the left
and also there's a severe decline into the tunnel?
And look here's a slip road on the side
from where vehicles are joining the main road.
There's a lot going on.
The 30 miles per hour speed limit is there for a reason.
The Mercedes continues towards the Alma underpass
moving at around 70 miles per hour in between the two lanes.
Suddenly Henri notices a small white car
slowly merging into the right lane from the slip road.
The distance between the two vehicles decreases rapidly
Henri steers to the left aggressively
to avoid the collision.
Even though his reactions are impaired,
he's doing the best he can at this point.
As the result of over-steering at a high speed
and upon entering the decline,
the Mercedes starts zigzagging
and makes contact with the white car breaking its taillight.
The Mercedes flies past the white car
as Henri's still trying to regain control
but he doesn't have enough time and space.
In a split second,
the Mercedes crashes into the 13th pillar
at a speed of about 65 miles per hour.
Henri died upon impact, Dodi shortly after,
Diana would be pronounced dead at the hospital
a few hours later.
The body guard was the only survivor.
None of those who died were wearing seat belts.
Experts agree that had Diana worn a seatbelt that night
she would have survived the crash.
Indeed there are plenty of alternative theories.
In fact, we believe that some of them are quite strong
after all this could have been a well-planned murder
not an accident.
There are many unsolved pieces of the puzzle.
The white car, identified as the Fiat Uno was never found.
That alone sounds absurd.
None of the cameras inside the tunnel
or along the route captured Diana's car.
Experts have questioned
the results of Henri Paul's blood tests
and rumors say that Henri MI6 was an agent
who was executing a plan to kill Diana.
However, we strongly believe that Henri Paul's blood tests
the tyre marks on the asphalt
around 200 feet before the tunnel,
broken glass from the Fiat's taillight
and the Fiat's white paint on the side of the Mercedes
are crucial pieces of evidence that prove
that it wasn't a planned out murder
but rather a tragic accident
caused by a combination of driving under the influence,
excessive speeding and a paparazzi chase.
This is the story of Princess Diana's death.
This is how it was
(upbeat music)
All right, If you liked this video,
please give it a thumbs up
and don't forget to hit that notification bell
so you won't miss new episodes.