In the early hours of August 31, 1997, the world was forever changed when Princess Diana, the beloved “People’s Princess,” lost her life in a catastrophic car crash in Paris’s Pont de l’Alma tunnel. The tragedy, which also claimed the lives of her companion Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul, sent shockwaves across the globe, leaving millions to mourn a woman whose compassion and charisma had redefined royalty. Now, nearly three decades later, a French firefighter who was among the first to reach the mangled wreckage has shared Diana’s haunting final words, offering a poignant glimpse into her last moments. As the 28th anniversary of her death passes on September 3, 2025, these revelations deepen the enduring legacy of a woman whose light continues to inspire.
The accident occurred shortly after midnight, when the black Mercedes-Benz S280 carrying Diana, Fayed, Paul, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones veered out of control during a high-speed attempt to evade paparazzi. The car, traveling at nearly twice the posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour, slammed into a concrete pillar in the tunnel, spinning violently before coming to a halt. Paul and Fayed were pronounced dead at the scene, their lives extinguished instantly in the twisted metal. Rees-Jones, the sole survivor, sustained severe injuries but was saved in part by his seatbelt, a precaution neither Diana nor Fayed had taken. Emergency responders, including firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, arrived at 12:33 a.m., facing a chaotic scene of wreckage, flashing cameras, and the desperate cries of onlookers.
Gourmelon, then a sergeant leading a 10-man response team, approached the crumpled vehicle with no knowledge of its famous passenger. To him, the blonde woman in the backseat was just another victim, her face obscured by the chaos of the crash. He found Diana slumped on the floor of the car, conscious but visibly agitated, with her eyes open and her body moving slightly. As he held her hand and urged her to stay calm, she spoke her final words: “My God, what’s happened?” The question, laced with confusion and fear, was a heart-wrenching reflection of the sudden violence that had upended her life. Moments later, as responders carefully extracted her from the wreckage and placed her on a stretcher, Diana suffered a cardiac arrest. Gourmelon, trained to act swiftly, performed chest compressions, and within seconds, she began breathing again. “I thought I had saved her,” he later recalled, his voice heavy with the weight of that night.
The team rushed Diana to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where doctors fought for hours to stabilize her. Despite Gourmelon’s initial optimism—based on her consciousness and lack of visible blood—he was unaware of the severe internal injuries, including a torn pulmonary vein, that would prove fatal. At approximately 4:00 a.m., Diana succumbed to another cardiac arrest, and despite exhaustive efforts by surgeons, she was pronounced dead. It was only as she was loaded into the ambulance that a paramedic informed Gourmelon of her identity, a revelation that left him stunned. “I knew who she was, but I didn’t follow royalty closely,” he said. “The memory of that night will stay with me forever.”
Diana’s final hours were marked by a whirlwind of events that underscored the relentless pressure she faced. That summer, the 36-year-old princess had been embracing a new chapter after her 1996 divorce from Prince Charles. Her romance with Dodi Fayed, the son of Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, had blossomed during a Mediterranean vacation aboard the Jonikal yacht. On August 30, they arrived in Paris, visiting Villa Windsor before retreating to the Ritz Hotel, owned by Fayed’s father. Paparazzi swarmed them at every turn, their cameras a constant intrusion. After abandoning plans to dine at Chez Benoit due to the media frenzy, the couple returned to the Ritz’s Imperial Suite. Shortly after midnight, they made a fateful decision to leave for Fayed’s private apartment, using a decoy car to throw off photographers. Henri Paul, the hotel’s deputy head of security, took the wheel, a choice that would prove catastrophic.
Investigations later revealed that Paul was intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level three times the French legal limit, compounded by prescription antidepressants and antipsychotics. His reckless driving, combined with the paparazzi’s aggressive pursuit, led to the crash. A 2008 British inquest, known as Operation Paget, concluded that Diana and Fayed’s deaths were an “unlawful killing” due to Paul’s gross negligence and the paparazzi’s role in the chase. The absence of seatbelts was a critical factor; Rees-Jones, who wore one, survived despite severe facial and head injuries. The tragedy sparked global outrage at the paparazzi’s invasive tactics, with witnesses recalling photographers snapping photos of the wreckage even as responders worked to save lives.
Diana’s final words, “My God, what’s happened?” resonate as a testament to the shock of her final moments. Another first responder, Dr. Frederic Mailliez, who happened to be driving through the tunnel, stopped to assist without recognizing Diana. He noted her pain and agitation, recalling, “She kept saying how much she hurt.” His focus was on stabilizing her, unaware of her identity until later, when the realization hit him as a “massive shock.” These accounts paint a picture of a woman fighting to comprehend the chaos around her, surrounded by strangers desperate to save her life.
The aftermath of Diana’s death was a global outpouring of grief. Tens of thousands flocked to Kensington Palace, leaving a sea of flowers, cards, and tributes that underscored her unique connection with the public. Her sons, Prince William, 15, and Prince Harry, 12, were at Balmoral Castle when their father, then-Prince Charles, broke the news. The boys later shared their regret over a brief phone call with their mother the night of the crash, cut short as they played with cousins. “I wished I’d told her all the things weighing on my heart,” Harry wrote in his memoir, Spare. Charles, accompanied by Diana’s sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, flew to Paris to bring her body home, a somber duty that left him visibly shaken. Her funeral on September 6, 1997, drew millions to London’s streets, with William and Harry walking behind her coffin in a heartrending image etched into history.
Diana’s legacy as the “People’s Princess” endures through her humanitarian work, from advocating for AIDS patients to campaigning against landmines. Her warmth and accessibility redefined royalty, making her a global icon. Yet, her death also exposed the darker side of fame—the relentless pursuit by paparazzi and the toll of living under constant scrutiny. The revelation of her final words, shared by Gourmelon in interviews over the years, has reignited conversations about her humanity. “She was just a woman in pain, asking what had happened,” he said, reflecting on the universality of her vulnerability in that moment.
The tragedy continues to prompt calls for reform. In the years since, some countries have tightened laws around paparazzi behavior, though the rise of social media has complicated privacy issues for public figures. Advocacy groups have pushed for stronger protections, citing Diana’s death as a cautionary tale. Meanwhile, her sons have honored her through initiatives like the Diana Award, which celebrates young people making a difference, reflecting her commitment to compassion and change.
For Gourmelon, now retired and working at Brest airport’s emergency services, the memory of August 31, 1997, remains vivid. “I thought she would live,” he said, his voice tinged with the sorrow of learning her fate. His account, alongside those of other responders like Mailliez, humanizes a moment often shrouded in myth. Diana’s question—“My God, what’s happened?”—was not just a reaction to the crash but a poignant echo of her life’s challenges, from her turbulent marriage to her battles with the media. As the world reflects on her legacy in 2025, these words remind us of her fragility and strength, a woman caught in a fleeting moment of clarity before her light was extinguished.
The Lexington community, like the global one, continues to honor Diana’s memory through local tributes, including a recent exhibit at the Lexington Public Library showcasing her humanitarian work. Her story resonates not just for its tragedy but for its lessons about empathy, resilience, and the cost of fame. As William and Harry carry forward her mission, and as stories like Gourmelon’s emerge, Diana remains a symbol of grace under pressure—a princess whose final words capture the shock of a life cut short, yet whose impact endures beyond the tunnel’s darkness.
