In the early hours of August 31, 1997, the world lost one of its most beloved figures, Princess Diana, in a horrific car crash in Paris. The tragedy unfolded after a night of evasion from relentless paparazzi, but a peculiar last-minute change in plans has long fueled questions about the events leading up to that fateful drive. Diana’s regular driver, Philippe Dourneau, a trusted chauffeur who had safely transported her and her companion Dodi Fayed earlier that day, was abruptly replaced by Henri Paul, the deputy head of security at the Ritz Hotel. This switch occurred mere hours before the accident, raising eyebrows even at the time.
Diana and Dodi had arrived in Paris from Sardinia on August 30, landing at Le Bourget airport around 3:30 p.m. Dourneau picked them up and drove them first to the Villa Windsor for a brief visit, then to Dodi’s apartment on rue Arsène Houssaye, and later to the Ritz Hotel, owned by Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed. The couple spent the evening at the Ritz, initially planning to dine out but opting for privacy in their Imperial Suite due to intrusive photographers swarming the area.
By midnight, as they prepared to leave for Dodi’s apartment, a decoy plan was set in motion. Dourneau waited at the hotel’s main entrance with a vehicle to distract the growing crowd of paparazzi. Meanwhile, at the rear exit on rue Cambon, Henri Paul took the wheel of a black Mercedes S280. Accompanying them was bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, the only survivor of the crash. Neither Diana nor Dodi fastened their seatbelts, a detail that would later prove critical.
Friends close to the princess later recalled her expressing unease about the sudden driver change. As they departed the Ritz, Diana reportedly turned to those around her and said, “That’s strange, isn’t it?” These words, uttered in a moment of quiet reflection, became her final comment on her own safety. The group had no inkling that this seemingly minor alteration would lead to catastrophe.
Henri Paul, born in 1956 in France, was not a professional chauffeur but had extensive experience in security. He joined the Ritz in 1986 and had completed advanced driving courses for Mercedes vehicles in Germany. A licensed pilot with over 600 hours of flight time, Paul was described by acquaintances as intelligent and loyal. However, toxicology reports revealed a devastating truth: his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit in France, equivalent to consuming about 10 drinks. Traces of prescription medications, including an antidepressant and a tranquilizer, were also found, compounds that warn against operating vehicles, especially when mixed with alcohol.
Paul had been off-duty that evening but was called back by Dodi to execute the escape plan. Driving at high speed—estimated at over 60 mph in a 30 mph zone—he entered the Pont de l’Alma underpass to evade pursuing photographers. The Mercedes clipped a white Fiat Uno, swerved, and slammed into a concrete pillar. The impact was devastating: Paul and Dodi died instantly at the scene. Diana, critically injured with severe chest trauma, was rushed to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where despite frantic efforts by surgeons, she was pronounced dead at 4 a.m. Rees-Jones survived but suffered extensive facial injuries and memory loss of the event.
Official investigations, including the 2006 British Operation Paget report and a 2007-2008 inquest, concluded the crash resulted from Paul’s impaired driving and the dangerous pursuit by paparazzi. No evidence supported conspiracy theories, though the driver swap has remained a point of intrigue. The inquest jury ruled the deaths as unlawful killing due to gross negligence.
Diana’s death sent shockwaves globally, leading to an outpouring of grief and reforms in media practices. Her legacy as the “People’s Princess” endures, but the mystery of that last-minute change lingers. Why Paul over Dourneau? Was it a hasty decision amid chaos, or something more? The facts paint a picture of human error amplified by fame’s relentless glare, a reminder of how quickly fortune can turn tragic.
