Princess Diana’s Explosive Letter Hints Her Death Was No Accident: "My Husband is Planning..."
The Prince and Princess of Wales looking irritated and awkward with one another during a visit to Canada.
Princess Diana's untimely death on August 31, 1997, sparked several conspiracy theories. A popular one is that the royal family, particularly Prince Charles, had something to do with her accident in Paris. Diana herself made the chilling claim in a letter addressed to her former butler Paul Burrell, just 10 months before her passing. The Princess penned that she feared Charles was planning an accident involving her car.
Princess Diana at the Red Cross Headquarters in Washington.
As reported by The Independent, she wrote, “I am sitting here at my desk today in October, longing for someone to hug me and encourage me to keep strong and hold my head high." She added, “This particular phase in my life is the most dangerous—my husband is planning ‘an accident’ in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry Tiggy." Tiggy Legge-Bourke was the former nanny of her sons Prince William and Harry—someone Diana believed would become Charles' future wife. Burrell kept Diana's note hidden for years, only revealing its existence in 2003. In his book A Royal Duty, he claimed that the Princess had given it to him as a kind of insurance, believing it would one day help uncover the truth.
The authenticity of the letter however was challenged by one of Diana’s close friends, Lucia Flecha da Lima, who suggested that Burrell might have forged it. He said, “Paul Burrell was perfectly capable of imitating Princess Diana’s handwriting. I don’t believe she was fearing for her life, especially from Prince Charles." She added, “I could not possibly see the father of her children murdering her. I can’t begin to believe the Princess and Al Fayed were murdered. Knowing the members of the royal family...so well, I think that’s impossible.”
Two years into the investigation, Charles was questioned as a witness at St. James's Palace after the note was made public in 2003. John Stevens, former head of Scotland Yard, said, "Yes, allegations had been made about the Prince of Wales and other royals, but we had to find or examine the [existing] evidence before we approached him with formal questions." Stevens claimed that there was no new information supporting Diana's allegations in the letter. As reported by People magazine, Charles claimed he was unaware of the letter until the media made it public.
In the end, Stevens said, Charles was completely cooperative during the inquiry since he had nothing to hide. However, unlike Charles, Prince Philip declined to take part in the investigation. The investigations cited the high-speed chase with paparazzi as the cause of the deadly crash. Henri Paul, the driver, had been under the influence. Diana was rushed to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, but despite efforts to resuscitate her, she succumbed to her injuries.