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Home / Lifestyle

Driver's father claims British police told him Diana was murdered

By Thomas Burrows
Daily Mail·
7 Aug, 2017 01:05 AM3 mins to read

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Source: Channel 4

The father of Henri Paul, Princess Diana's driver on the night she died, has claimed UK police told him she was murdered.

Henri's elderly father Jean, 85, fears he will die without knowing the full story behind the crash.

Mr Paul, the acting head of security at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, was at the wheel of the Mercedes which crashed in the Alma Tunnel in the early hours of August 31, 1997 with Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in the back.

He said: "Diana was killed and my son was killed. I believe they were both murdered. My son was simply ­collateral damage of a plot to kill Diana and they killed him as well.

"I am 100% sure he [Henri] was not involved in this plot. He was too honourable and too honest."

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A photo in Paris shows Diana Princess of Wales (head turned away in backseat), her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (L) and driver Henri Paul shortly before their deaths. Photo / Getty
A photo in Paris shows Diana Princess of Wales (head turned away in backseat), her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (L) and driver Henri Paul shortly before their deaths. Photo / Getty

Despite an official inquest ruling Diana and Dodi were unlawfully killed due to the "gross negligence" of Mr Paul, who had been drinking, Jean remains convinced it was part of an Establishment plot.

He even claimed some officers inside Scotland Yard believe there was a secret plot to kill Diana, the Daily Mail reported.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror he said: "I have no real hope to know what really happened. Perhaps it will be known in 30 or 50 years. But I would really like to know before I die. But I don't think it will happen."

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The 85-year-old even sensationally suggested his son's blood sample was switched or tampered with to make it look like he had drink in his system.

Princess Diana and with Dodi Fayed (pictured together on the night they died) were killed alongside Henri Paul (left) when the car crashed in a Paris tunnel. Photo / Video grab
Princess Diana and with Dodi Fayed (pictured together on the night they died) were killed alongside Henri Paul (left) when the car crashed in a Paris tunnel. Photo / Video grab

He said: "On that day there were over 20 autopsies that took place and it was easy for the authorities to switch blood samples to show alcohol was present in the sample they said was Henri's.

"That is what I believe happened."

Many conspiracy theories have surrounded Diana's death, and Dodi's father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, has always insisted he believes the couple were murdered.

However an inquest in 2008 found Diana and Dodi were unlawfully killed due to the "gross negligence" of Mr Paul, who had been drinking. A lack of seatbelts also contributed to their deaths.

And in 2013, the Met dismissed reports claiming SAS troops were behind the couple's death, ­insisting there was 'no credible evidence' of secret service involvement.

Diana's first lover after her marriage to Prince Charles, bodyguard Barry Mannakee, was killed in a 1987 motorcycle accident three weeks after being sacked by the Royal Family following rumours of their romance.

Some of his family believe the secret services were behind the death, but that has never been proven.

Jean's wife, former teacher Giselle, 87, was traumatised by their son's death and is now living in a care home.

In a previous interview she said: "We believe there was a plot to kill the Princess that terrible night in August 1997.

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"We know in our hearts that our son was murdered and we still live with the hope that one day the truth will be known."

The couple have outlived all but one of their five sons.

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