Princess Diana's bodyguard shuts down death conspiracy theory as he shares real cause
Princess Diana's bodyguard shuts down death conspiracy theory as he shares real cause
Charl WrightMon, August 31, 2026 at 10:10 AM UTC
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Princess Diana died 29 years ago today -Credit:Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
Princess Diana's former bodyguard has ripped into the theories surrounding her death 29 years on.
Diana died aged 36 on August 31, 1997, from injuries sustained in a high-speed car crash inside the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. She died alongside her partner, Dodi Fayed, and their driver. Their bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived the accident, as he was the only one wearing a seatbelt.
The beloved royal suffered severe internal trauma, including a ruptured pulmonary vein, yet still spoke to emergency services as they arrived. However, despite best efforts from medical staff, she died at 4.53 a.m. local time.
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Ahead of the anniversary of her death, Diana's former close protection officer, Ken Wharfe, who worked with the royal for several years before she left The Firm, sat down for an exclusive chat with The Mirror US. During the interview, Ken addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding Diana's death and claimed he doesn't believe the press are to blame for her car accident.
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Ken Wharfe (right) with Princess Diana in 1991 -Credit:Mirrorpix
Addressing Prince Harry's disdain for the press, Ken said, "The media could be intrusive, as his mother experienced throughout her life, but the media did not kill Diana."
He further added that the Duke of Sussex is "wrong" to blame the media for her crash, noting on behalf of Casino Canada, "Harry knows the findings of the inquest. He knows it wasn't the paparazzi who physically caused his mother's death."
Instead, Ken blames Diana's security on that night, telling us they shouldn't have allowed the Princess in a car with an intoxicated driver. "In my view, it was the failure of that security operation — the lack of professional experience in protecting someone of Diana's profile — that let her down," the former bodyguard said. "Diana died in a tragic accident because, in my view, the security arrangements that night failed her."
Henri Paul (right) was three times over the drink-driving limit when he crashed -Credit:Getty Images
However, Ken noted he "takes no pleasure" in criticizing her security detail, as he believed they "wanted to do their best." Yet he wanted to emphasize that Diana was no longer protected by Scotland Yard but by Mohamed Al-Fayed's security.
"Those responsible undoubtedly had the best intentions, but they lacked the experience of protecting someone of Diana's profile. Most importantly, they lacked the confidence — or perhaps the authority — to say to Henri Paul, 'You're not driving this car,'" Ken concluded.
Diana's driver, Henri Paul, had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system when the crash occurred, French police found. Forensic toxicologists calculated that this level of alcohol was equivalent to Paul drinking between five and eight measures of spirits or more than a full bottle of wine.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
