A Tragedy at Midnight- Princess Diana Conspiracy By Madison Guillory

            A head strong women she was, Princess Diana lived the glamorous life as mother, wife, style icon, also aware of the hardships around her with the selfless compassion to give to others. On the night of “August 30, 1997” she and Dodi Frayed left the Ritz after dinner and never returned home (Hoge). The event of her death shook the world. Due to the lack of evidence of how the car crash occurred, several conspiracy theories arose:

1.     Was her chauffeur under the influence of drugs and alcohol (Nundy)?

2.      Did her own ex-husband plot to have her killed?

3.      Was there another car in the tunnel that ran them off the road (Rice)?

Let’s examine the possibility that Princess Diana’s death was by the hands of her ex-husband Prince Charles.

            Princess Diana was unlike any other royalty before her. She challenged the public’s ideology of what a princess should be, how she should look, and how she should act. Diana had a blonde voluminous pixie cut, blue eyes, pearly whites—the perfect face for 1980s paparazzi. Diana’s slender figure stood at model height 5’10” catching the attention of a prince that may have just loved her for her looks and not her soul. Every decision she made after becoming a royal set the final destination her car was going that still night that stretched on for eternity.

 Diana was born, as the Europeans would say, a commoner which gave her outstanding personality from the family she married into. We all know her as Princess but her family knew her as Diana Frances Spencer. Her brother, Charles Spencer, knew the girl beyond the lime light. Spencer described her as “incredibly brave” based off a memory when a massive conger eel jumped into their boat and she just got a pen knife and “just dealt with it” (Tauber 1). Also, he believed Diana was never shy even though the press nicknamed her “Shy Di” (1). Spencer claimed although she seemed reserved she would take a judgement of somebody before reacting to them; “so that’s not shy…that’s actually quite clever” (1). Despite the sheepish looks given to the cameras, Diana was a canny person all her life.

The first years in court were difficult for Diana. It was hard for her to grasp the same customs as her new family because she was immature and inexperienced.  But she grew comfortable living royal as she was allowed “access to royal perks such as, the Queen’s flight and royal train” (Lacey 1). With a title, Diana felt more empowered; enough to demonstrate to the world that she could change their opinion. In 1987 her son, Harry, recalled his mother shaking the hand of a man with HIV in public during a time when this disease was feared which caused homophobia against the LGBT community. This built Harry’s assumption that, “she knew exactly what she was doing...using her position as Princess of Wales to challenge everyone…to reach out to those who need help instead of pushing them away” (Perry 1). Diana’s selfless compassion for others encouraged her to be straight forward on the issues she felt strongly about. She soon lost the nickname Shy Di and became the People’s Princess by putting others before herself. Were her actions drawing too much attention? Did a women with as much influence and confidence as Prince Charles effect their relationship and character towards one another? Charles and Diana’s companionship withered away over the years leading up to her tragic death.

Like a fairy tale princess, Diana’s presence was noticed everywhere she went and her joyful aura gave off to sooth the hearts of anyone around her. Walker exclaimed when she filled the room, “everyone was immediately put at ease, and just the fact that she would come in, talk to someone, hold their hand” (Perry 1). “She was very real and very about human contact,” said her son, Harry (1). Diana distinguished herself from other princesses, by not standing in the shadow of her husband and that’s why the people loved who she was. But, the problem is, people only see the mask covering what your true feelings are on the inside. Behind her mask, Diana hid her depression, anorexia, and bulimia which only grew in her marriage (Whitaker 1).

The couple were polar opposites and had a twelve year age difference. Diana was a vibrant young school teacher still trying to find herself. Whereas Charles, at the time they were courting, was a retired bachelor who enjoyed classical music and hunting. From birth, Charles was taught to “keep his feelings under a tight rein and to himself, hid his unhappiness behind the mask of his royal duty” (Whitaker 1). Constantly around a person as this, Diana who was “more emotional and more theatrical” grew bored and gloomy with the life she had chosen (1). Friend James Whitaker explained “she did not have a happy childhood…her mother and father fought both verbally and, apparently, physically” (1). The marriage that she had always known wasn’t healthy or happy. So, Diana searched for something better, but her instincts led her to exactly what she did not want from a marriage. When Whitaker asked if they were in love “Diana replied “Of course”, but the Prince added: “Whatever love is” (Whitaker 1). Besides their differences, they couple were both broken on the inside from their past having less to give and more willingness to take.

More than the cameras loved Diana, she loved them too. More entertained by the herds of them flashing their lights, shouting her name, screaming “we love you Di!” More of a positive attitude at the sight than her other half who dreaded being in view of the public eye. As much as the press followed her every step, why were the street cameras not working in the tunnel where her car flipped that tragic night in 1997?

Conspiracy Descriptions

            The surprising death of Princess Diana shocked the public into commotion. How could such an admired figure meet such a tragic ending? Due to the lack of evidence at the crash, several conspiracy theories arose. The finger was first pointed at her driver about accusations of intoxication while driving. Then heads turned to the royal family to suggest that Princess Diana’s ex-husband, Prince Charles, had her assassinated. Another conspiracy involved a car that was spotted but never found.

            In a car crash, it is easy to blame the driver. The first conspiracy involved drinking and driving. Henri Paul, driver of the Mercedes, was ruled soul cause for the death of Princess Diana, Dodi, including himself. Paul’s chance to tell his truth would never come. Many allegations supported this ruling. Alain Willamuaz, witness, stated that at the Ritz Paul’s “eyes were brilliant, wide open and he was visibility in an abnormal condition…he was walking like a clown” (Wheatstone 1). This should have rose red flags to anyone who witnessed him in that physical state that he should not have been behind the wheel operating a vehicle. Also, a receipt for the Ritz bar confirmed that Paul had purchased two alcoholic drinks and his blood tested “three times over the French drunk limit” (Wheatstone 1). Paul’s family claimed that he never had a driving problem; they believed their “son was used as collateral” (1). By the time Paul began his intake if alcoholic beverages, he was off duty therefore whoever called him back that night knew he was intoxicated and led him in the direction of tunnel (1).

Paparazzi could have been the cause for Henri Paul to lose control in the tunnel; but what if those photographers were British intelligence (a.k.a MI6)? As expressed in the character analysis, Princess Diana did not have a healthy marriage and attracted more attention than her in-laws. In Diana’s diary entry two months before the crash, she predicted her own death which read, “this particular phase in my life is the most dangerous - my husband is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry Tiggy” (Gordon 1). Prince Charles and Diana’s divorce increased his fear of Diana having a platform to prove his infidelity if she were to married Dodi; it could destroy his public image. Also, Queen Elizabeth despised Diana’s ability to change public opinion and how she was a threat to the crown with a Muslim by her side. The royal family found the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by calling upon the MI6 to do their biddings so they wouldn’t have blood on their hands. Former MI6 agent, Richard Tominson, was sent to one year in prison for breaking the Official Secrets Act when he stated, “I firmly believe that there exist documents held by the MI6 that would yield important new evidence into…the deaths…in Paris” (“The Mysterious Death of princess Diana” 1). Their mission went exactly as planned: they were to lead the car into the tunnel then have an undercover operative flash a strobe light in the mist of the paparazzi which a witness claimed they saw a flash right before the accident (1). This conspiracy was never investigated. Ina poll taken at the college of the mainland, on hundred percent of people who were asked said that based on the knowledge of the case, they believed Prince Charles and the Royal family had Princess Diana killed. MI6 are the investigators and the Royal family is the government; the perfect cover-up to a case that could never find justice.

The third conspiracy could have been investigated if there was any evidence to prove it. Multiple cameras inside and outside the tunnel should have captured every angle of the accident but somehow there was no footage from that night. So investigators had to rely on forensics and the words of witnesses. Witnesses spotted a white Fait Uno fleeing the scene and forensics found partials of paint from a white Fiat that was then traced to Le Van, a security graud, who had no motive to kill Princess Diana (Rice 1). He also had very tight alibi: he was at work the time of the crash and he had gotten his car painted red days before (1). The police never looked deeper into this conspiracy even though the white paint underneath matched the residue retrieved from the black Mercedes (1). But this statement was taken two months after the crash giving him more than enough time to hide all evidence (1). To today Van “admits the crash ruined his life” (1). Weird thing for an innocent man to say.

Conclusion

            Although Diana has been dead for 20 years, the people can’t accept that such a prominent figure went so soon. As a result conspiracy’s surfaced:

1. Drunk driver, Henri Paul, caused the fatal crash.

2. Diana’s ex- family had he killed by British intelligence.

3. A White Fiat Uno ran the Mercedes off the road.

All three of these theories have strong supporting facts but too many arrows led in too many directions. So, it was easy for the authorities to blame the dead man which was insensitive to a woman who was a mother, a motivator, and an activist. It is tragic that Diana had finally made it to a happy place in her life which came to an abrupt halt.

Works Cited

Gordon Rayner Chief. “Princess Diana Letter: 'Charles Plans to Kill Me'.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 20 Dec. 2007, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1573170/Princess-Diana-letter-Charles-plans-to-kill-me.html.

Hoge, Warren, et al. “Death of Diana: Times Journalists Recall Night of the Crash.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/world/europe/uk-princess-diana-20th-anniversary.html?_r=0.

Lacey, Robert. “The Truth about Diana and The Queen: How Monarch Was Princess's Greatest Supporter... until THAT Martin Bashir Documentary.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 27 Jan. 2012, www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2092888/Diana-The-Queen-Her-Majesty-Princesss-greatest-supporter-sending-psychiatrist-hosting-family-therapy-session.html.

Nundy, Julian. “Diana Crash Caused by Chauffeur, Says Report.” Diana Crash Caused by

            Chauffeur, Says Report, Telegraph Group Limited, 4 Sept. 1999,

            web.archive.org/web/20080522130924/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?ht

            ml=%2Farchive%2F1999%2F09%2F04%2Fndi04.html.

Perry, Simon. “Prince Harry Shares How His Mom Princess Diana, at ‘Only 25 Years Old,’ Fought Homophobia.” PEOPLE.com, Time Inc, 12 Oct. 2017, people.com/royals/prince-harry-shares-how-his-mom-princess-diana-at-only-25-years-old-fought-homophobia/.

Tauber, Michelle. “Princess Diana’s Brother Shares Never-Before-Seen Photo of His 'Incredibly Brave' Sister.” PEOPLE.com, Time Inc, 26 July 2017, people.com/royals/princess-dianas-brother-shares-a-secret-side-and-never-before-seen-photo-of-his-incredibly-brave-sister/.

“The Mysterious Death Of Princess Diana.” All time Conspiracies,YouTube, 25 Aug. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKsh1R5ivkY

Wheatstone, Richard. “The Story of Henri Paul, Princess Diana's Death Crash Driver Who Was Killed in the Horrific Paris Smash.” The Sun, The Sun, 31 Aug. 2017, www.thesun.co.uk/news/4187143/henri-paul-princess-diana-driver-paris-car-crash/.

Whitaker, James. “The People's Princess I Knew: Diana's Extraordinary Life Remembered by Our Legendary Royal Reporter James Whitaker.” Mirror, 31 Aug. 2012, www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/princess-dianas-life-and-death-obituary-1282386.

Rice, Dennis. “Found: The Mystery White Fiat Uno Driver in Diana Death Crash.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 23 Dec. 2006, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-424546/Found-The-mystery-white-Fiat-Uno-driver-Diana-death-crash.html.