Princess Diana's death was caused in part because she had an
inadequate security team on the night she died, a former police officer
has claimed.
Daniel Bourdon, who guarded Diana's body in the
morgue, claims her 'DIY' protection detail allowed a chain of events to
occur that led to the fatal crash.
His claims are made in his new
book called Diana: That Night in which reveals his shock at the standard
of the security operation around her and boyfriend Dodi Fayed.
An inquest in 2008 heard how an ill-fated plan was devised for off-duty
security manager Henri Paul, who had been drinking, to drive the pair
away from their hotel in a bid to avoid the paparazzi.
'DIY': A picture taken moments before the crash that killed Diana
shows the driver Henri Paul (right), bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (left)
with the Princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in the back seat. A
former French police officer claims the tragedy happened in part because
she had an inadequate security detail that night
CCTV footage shows off-duty security manager Henri Paul arriving
at the Ritz hotel in Paris on the night she died. An inquest heard an
ill-fated plan was devised to evade paparazzi that night by getting Mr
Paul to drive the couple from the back of the hotel while Dodi's usual
driver, Philippe Dorneau, remained at the front as a decoy
The hearing ruled they were unlawfully killed due to Mr Paul's 'gross
negligence' after the car crashed in a Paris tunnel while being pursued
by photographers.
In an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, which has been translated by The Local, Mr Bourdon said: 'My book is not a counter-investigation.
'It reproduces things as they were. Only, according to me, the princess did
not have a level of security and protection that an icon like her
deserved.
'It was DIY and that allowed a chain of circumstances that had a tragic outcome.'
Diana, 36, Fayed, 42, and Mr Paul, 41, were killed in the crash on August 31,
1997, while the Princess's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was seriously
injured.
'Icon': Former French police officer Daniel Bourdon says he was
shocked at the security operation around Diana and Dodi. His new book
claims it was a factor in the chain of events that led up to the
Princess's death
The inquest heard how a plan was hatched for Mr
Paul to drive the couple from the back of the hotel while Dodi's usual
driver, Philippe Dorneau, remained at the front as a decoy.
Mr Paul decided to drive the car to Dodi's father Mohamed Al-Fayed's
apartment in Rue Arsène Houssaye in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Paul was reminded moments before setting off that it was not his job to
drive the couple but said nothing, the hearing was told.
Ritz night security manager Francois Tendil said he had seen no sign that his
boss Mr Paul had been drinking that night, although blood tests after
the crash showed he was over the drink-drive limit.
Mr Bourdon said he was given the task of guarding Diana's body in the morgue at the
Salpetriere hospital and spoke to her as he stood there for 15 minutes.
'It was a poignant moment. Her face was magnificent,' he said.
| Mail Online
inadequate security team on the night she died, a former police officer
has claimed.
Daniel Bourdon, who guarded Diana's body in the
morgue, claims her 'DIY' protection detail allowed a chain of events to
occur that led to the fatal crash.
His claims are made in his new
book called Diana: That Night in which reveals his shock at the standard
of the security operation around her and boyfriend Dodi Fayed.
An inquest in 2008 heard how an ill-fated plan was devised for off-duty
security manager Henri Paul, who had been drinking, to drive the pair
away from their hotel in a bid to avoid the paparazzi.
shows the driver Henri Paul (right), bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (left)
with the Princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in the back seat. A
former French police officer claims the tragedy happened in part because
she had an inadequate security detail that night
at the Ritz hotel in Paris on the night she died. An inquest heard an
ill-fated plan was devised to evade paparazzi that night by getting Mr
Paul to drive the couple from the back of the hotel while Dodi's usual
driver, Philippe Dorneau, remained at the front as a decoy
The hearing ruled they were unlawfully killed due to Mr Paul's 'gross
negligence' after the car crashed in a Paris tunnel while being pursued
by photographers.
In an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, which has been translated by The Local, Mr Bourdon said: 'My book is not a counter-investigation.
'It reproduces things as they were. Only, according to me, the princess did
not have a level of security and protection that an icon like her
deserved.
'It was DIY and that allowed a chain of circumstances that had a tragic outcome.'
Diana, 36, Fayed, 42, and Mr Paul, 41, were killed in the crash on August 31,
1997, while the Princess's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was seriously
injured.
shocked at the security operation around Diana and Dodi. His new book
claims it was a factor in the chain of events that led up to the
Princess's death
The inquest heard how a plan was hatched for Mr
Paul to drive the couple from the back of the hotel while Dodi's usual
driver, Philippe Dorneau, remained at the front as a decoy.
Mr Paul decided to drive the car to Dodi's father Mohamed Al-Fayed's
apartment in Rue Arsène Houssaye in the early hours of the morning.
drive the couple but said nothing, the hearing was told.
Ritz night security manager Francois Tendil said he had seen no sign that his
boss Mr Paul had been drinking that night, although blood tests after
the crash showed he was over the drink-drive limit.
Mr Bourdon said he was given the task of guarding Diana's body in the morgue at the
Salpetriere hospital and spoke to her as he stood there for 15 minutes.
'It was a poignant moment. Her face was magnificent,' he said.
| Mail Online
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