On August 31, 1997, the world lost Princess Diana, the “People’s Princess,” in a tragic car crash in Paris’s Pont de l’Alma tunnel. Nearly 30 years later, her final moments continue to captivate hearts and spark speculation. The last known image of Diana, captured by CCTV in the Ritz Hotel’s rear entrance elevator, shows her alongside her partner Dodi Fayed, their driver Henri Paul, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, just minutes before the fatal accident. This grainy footage, presented during the 2008 British inquest, has become an enduring symbol of a fleeting moment of happiness cut short by tragedy. While the world may never know the full truth of those final seconds, a poignant narrative persists: that in her last moments, Dodi Fayed held Diana tightly, shielding her with love after her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles. Though this image of a protective embrace is not explicitly confirmed by evidence, it reflects the deep emotional resonance of their brief but intense romance.

The Final Image: A Snapshot of a Doomed Night

The last image of Princess Diana, taken at approximately 12:20 a.m. on August 31, 1997, captures her in the Ritz Hotel’s elevator, preparing to leave via the rear entrance on Rue Cambon. The black-and-white CCTV footage, later released as part of the Operation Paget inquest, shows Diana seated in the backseat of a Mercedes-Benz S280, partially visible alongside Dodi Fayed, with Henri Paul at the wheel and Trevor Rees-Jones in the front passenger seat. The couple, pursued relentlessly by paparazzi, had spent the evening moving between Dodi’s apartment and the Ritz, owned by Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed. Their attempt to dine at Chez Benoit, a Michelin-starred bistro, was thwarted by photographers, forcing them back to the Ritz’s Imperial Suite for dinner. The elevator image, stark and unposed, is the world’s final glimpse of Diana alive—a moment frozen in time before the chaos that followed.

The couple’s decision to leave the Ritz via the rear exit was a desperate bid to evade the paparazzi, who had swarmed the hotel’s main entrance. Henri Paul, the Ritz’s deputy head of security, was chosen to drive, despite later toxicology reports revealing his blood alcohol level was three times France’s legal limit, compounded by prescription drugs. As the Mercedes sped into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel at over 70 mph, it clipped a white Fiat Uno, swerved, and crashed into a concrete pillar. Dodi and Paul died instantly, Rees-Jones survived with severe injuries, and Diana, critically injured, was rushed to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries at 4:00 a.m.

The Injury That Ended a Legend

Forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd, in his 2019 book Unnatural Causes, revealed the precise cause of Diana’s death: a tiny tear in the left pulmonary vein, a rare and catastrophic injury that led to massive internal bleeding. Despite appearing dazed but alive at the scene, with only a cut on her forehead visible, Diana’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, who arrived minutes after the crash, recalled her mumbling, “My God, what’s happened?” as he performed CPR. Photographer Romuald Rat, also at the scene, described Diana trapped between the seats, moaning and aware that Dodi was lifeless in front of her. These accounts paint a harrowing picture of her final moments, but they do not confirm the romantic image of Dodi holding her tightly to protect her. The lack of seatbelts, noted in the inquest, likely exacerbated the injuries, with Shepherd suggesting Diana might have survived with only minor injuries had she been restrained.

Dodi and Diana: A Whirlwind Romance

The narrative of Dodi Fayed’s protective love stems from the intense, albeit brief, romance that defined Diana’s final summer. Diana and Dodi first met in 1986 at a polo match, where Dodi played against Prince Charles, but their relationship blossomed in July 1997, after Diana’s divorce from Charles in 1996. Mohamed Al Fayed invited Diana and her sons, Princes William and Harry, to vacation on his yacht, the Jonikal, in St. Tropez. There, Diana and Dodi grew close, their bond deepening during a second trip in August without her sons. Paparazzi photos of them kissing on the yacht, published by The Sunday Mirror on August 10, 1997, ignited global fascination with their relationship.

Dodi, the 42-year-old son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, was a film producer known for his playboy lifestyle. His brief marriage to model Suzanne Gregard in 1986 and an alleged engagement to model Kelly Fisher, which ended abruptly when he met Diana, painted him as a man drawn to high-profile romances. Fisher’s lawsuit against Dodi, claiming he promised her $500,000 to abandon her modeling career, added scandal to their story, though she dropped the suit after his death. Despite the brevity of their relationship—just seven weeks—those close to Diana noted her happiness. Actor Khalid Abdalla, who portrayed Dodi in The Crown, told Town & Country, “You look at the images of Diana at that time, and she was really happy.”

The Protective Embrace: Fact or Fiction?

The idea that Dodi held Diana tightly to protect her in the crash is a powerful but unverified narrative. Eyewitness accounts, such as those from Rat and policeman Sebastien Dorzee, describe Diana turned awkwardly between the seats, aware of Dodi’s death, suggesting they were not in a protective embrace. The CCTV image from the Ritz elevator, while showing them close, does not depict a physical embrace. Mohamed Al Fayed claimed the couple was engaged, with Dodi purchasing a $205,000 “Dis-moi Oui” diamond ring from Repossi Jewelers on August 30, but the ring was found in Dodi’s apartment, not on Diana’s finger. Operation Paget found no evidence of an engagement or pregnancy, as alleged by Mohamed, with forensic tests confirming Diana was not pregnant.

Yet, the narrative of Dodi’s protective love resonates because it aligns with Diana’s search for genuine affection after her painful marriage to Charles. Her divorce, finalized in 1996 after years of infidelity and public scrutiny, left her yearning for a partner who valued her for herself. Her friend Richard Kay, writing in the Daily Mail, noted that in Dodi, Diana saw one of the few men who “never let her down.” The exchange of gifts—Diana giving Dodi her father’s cufflinks and Dodi presenting her with a silver plaque inscribed with a poem—underscored their emotional connection. Whether or not Dodi physically shielded her, his presence offered a sense of security she had long sought.

The World’s Enduring Fascination

The last image of Diana, coupled with the romanticized idea of Dodi’s devotion, fuels the public’s obsession with her story. Her death at 36, just as she was forging a new path, left a void filled with speculation. Conspiracy theories, propagated by Mohamed Al Fayed, suggested a royal plot to prevent Diana’s marriage to a Muslim, but these were debunked by the 2008 inquest, which ruled the crash an “unlawful killing” due to Henri Paul’s intoxication and the paparazzi’s pursuit. The global outpouring of grief—2.5 billion viewers for her funeral, flowers piling up outside Buckingham Palace—reflected her status as a beloved icon.

Diana’s legacy endures through her sons, who champion her humanitarian causes, and in media like The Crown, which reimagines her final days. The notion of Dodi’s protective embrace, though not supported by physical evidence, captures the world’s desire to believe that in her final moments, the “English Rose” was cherished. As historian Arianne Chernock noted, Diana’s compressed life and unrealized potential keep her mystique alive.

Conclusion: A Love Cut Short

The final image of Princess Diana in the Ritz elevator is a haunting reminder of a life ended too soon. While the romantic image of Dodi Fayed holding her tightly to protect her may be more myth than reality, it reflects the world’s longing for Diana to have found true love after her unhappy marriage. The tiny tear in her lung, the reckless chase, and the absence of a seatbelt sealed her fate, but her story—marked by compassion, resilience, and a fleeting summer romance—continues to inspire. Nearly 30 years later, the world still mourns the princess who, in her last moments, was surrounded by love, even if only in the hearts of those who remember her.