Dying Princess Diana image set to shock

Photo / NZ Herald

A graphic image of a dying Princess Diana is set to be screened in a controversial documentary into her fatal crash.

Unlawful Killing, which will premiere at Cannes this week, contains a black and white close-up of Diana taken just moments after the Mercedes carrying her and Dodi Al Fayed crashed in a Paris tunnel in 1997.

The Daily Mail reports the distressing image, with Diana's blonde hair and features clearly visible, has never been publicly seen in the UK.

Similar pictures shown to the Diana inquest jury had her face heavily pixelated.

The photograph of Diana forms part of the widely-available trailer to Allen's documentary.

Friends of the late Princess are reported to be outraged director Kevin Allen has used the photograph.

Rosa Monckton, who the Daily Mail says holidayed with Diana just before her death, said 'If this is true this is absolutely disgusting.

'The fact people are trying to make money - which is all that they are doing now - out of her death is quite frankly ... words fail me.'

The Daily Mail reports that St James's Palace declined to comment but royal sources said the princes would be sickened by the news.

Allen's film is due to be screened amid a blaze of publicity at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

A six-month inquest concluded in 2008 that Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were unlawfully killed as a direct result of grossly negligent driving by drunk chauffeur Henri Paul, who also died in the crash.

The actions of photographers following the car were also cited.

Mr Fayed has accused Prince Philip of masterminding the crash and even suggested Prince Charles was involved.

He alleged the death plot took place to stop the princess marrying his Muslim son.

Allen said the film was being premiered in Cannes 'because British lawyers insisted on 87 cuts before any UK release.

'So rather than butcher the film, we're showing in France, then the U.S., and everywhere except the UK.'

A spokesman for the filmmakers said: 'The picture has been published in full before, in many parts of the world. We acquired the image from an Italian magazine, which had already published it in full. It is also widely available on the web.

'We are therefore not publishing anything that the rest of the world has not already seen elsewhere.'

- NZ Herald staff