The firefighter who tried to save Princess Diana at the crash scene in Paris was Xavier Gourmelon, a French firefighter who performed CPR and believed he had saved her life by getting her to breathe again before she was transported, though she later died in the hospital from her injuries.
On the 20th anniversary of her death, French firefighter Xavier Gourmelon told Good Morning Britain what she said to him. Upon arrival, he said no one was aware who had been involved in the crash, and he couldn't recognise Diana.
Rees-Jones was in the car with Princess Diana, Fayed and Paul when it crashed, but since he was sitting in the front passenger seat, he had the protection of an airbag. That said, like the other passengers, he wasn't wearing a seat belt, and he certainly didn't come out unscathed.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Countess of Wessex), did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly choosing not to go because her strong physical resemblance to Diana would have been too distressing for the public, a decision supported by the Royal Family. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but wasn't yet married or engaged, and her resemblance to Diana, particularly with a similar short blonde hairstyle, was often noted, making her presence potentially upsetting for mourners.
In 1999, a French investigation concluded that Paul, who was intoxicated and under the influence of prescription drugs, lost control of the vehicle at high speed. The report held him solely responsible for the crash.
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
DIANA MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED IF SHE HAD USED HER SEAT BELT, EXPERTS SAY | Journal of Commerce.
I omitted obey from my vows.
In these moments, Diana would often keep her chin tucked and her head slightly down, making it harder for the photographers to get a clear shot. This subtle act helped her regain some control over her public image and shielded her from the overwhelming exposure that came with being part of the royal family.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
Princess Diana did not have an open-casket funeral. Since she died in a car accident and was subject to an autopsy, the chances are that nobody would have wanted the princess to have been remembered in such a way, thus keeping the casket closed.
While the horrible details and pictures of Diana's accident might suggest that she died at the scene of the crash, the princess, in fact, survived for another 3.5 hours. Diana and Dodi had left the Ritz at 12:19 a.m. on Aug. 31 through the back door with bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones to avoid the paparazzi.
Although the family was aware of Diana's bulimia, she struggled with the illness for many years, not seeking treatment until the late 1980s. However, this fact was not revealed to the public until 1992, when Andrew Morton published a book about the Princess of Wales.
The depictions of Diana's paranoia about her phone being bugged in The Crown season 5 do have a basis in reality. There is evidence that Diana's phone calls were recorded at least once, and some have suggested that her phone being bugged was a real fear of the Princess of Wales towards the end of her life.
A firefighter who led the response team pulled Diana from the wreckage. He said that the princess asked him, “My God, what has happened?” It was only later that he found out the victim was Princess Diana, and that these would possibly be her final words.
She loved wearing brands, which included Chanel. However, the then Princess of Wales stopped wearing Chanel following her divorce. Apparently, the label's logo, the double interlocking C's, reminded her of the betrayal she had by Prince Charles because of his then-affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Just taking a moment to remember that according to the latest YouGov poll, The Prince and Princess of Wales continue to be the most popular Royals. The Prince of Wales is the most popular with a 75% approval rating and is closely followed by The Princess of Wales with a 72% 👑🇬🇧 .
First medical reports indicated that she was suffering from concussion, a broken arm and cuts to her thighs. It later emerged that the Princess had suffered massive chest injuries. At 4.53am it was announced that the Princess had died.
So what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart. First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.
Diana tragically went into cardiac arrest and died of internal bleeding stemming from major chest and lung injuries. Now, however, renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd has claimed she could've lived 'if only' a few life-saving measures before and in the immediate aftermath of the crash had happened.
According to The Associated Press, Diana referred to Prince Philip as "Dearest Pa" in letters from 1992, and the duke offers to help try to patch up her marital problems.
That moment became the last photo of her alive. At 12:23 AM, the car crashed into the 13th pillar inside the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul died instantly. Diana was critically injured but still alive when paramedics arrived.
"Second, her body was embalmed by the French and it is said that the purpose of this was to conceal that she was pregnant." He said no pregnancy test had been carried out on Diana at the hospital where she was taken that night because there appeared to be no reason to do so.
“When there's potential for a perceived threat, they may well not wear seat belts, particularly if they're in their finery,” Davies explains. This is because it's much easier and faster to get them out of the car and to safety when they don't have to fumble with seat belts and bulky apparel.