Death of Princess Diana

The late Princess Diana, despite her many humanitarian and political efforts, is most widely known for her untimely death in the summer of 1997. Why? Why are the circumstances of her death so hotly debated even now, more than 20 years later? As most know, she was killed in the result of a car crash, with her partner Egyptian filmmaker Dodi Al-Fayed and their driver Henri Paul also killed. Her bodyguard survived, later publishing a book on his experiences with Diana.

The story was that, after being hounded by paparazzi, Diana and Al-Fayed left the restaurant they were dining in and had Paul drive them back to their hotel. Chased by reporters and cameramen, Paul sped through the streets of Paris, apparently reaching speeds up to 60 mph. He hit a pillar, and him and Al-Fayed were killed instantly. Princess Diana was pronounced dead at a hospital an hour and a half later, with her bodyguard surviving. 

The fact that she died in a car crash is not the point of contention, but rather why she died. Some claim she was murdered in a plot to prevent her from marrying Al-Fayed, a Muslim man, or that she was pregnant with his child. Another claim is that Prince Charles had her killed so he could marry another woman, or that Prince Phillip even wanted her dead. 

Despite the time since Diana’s death, theories still persist, and seem to surge in popularity whenever controversy over the Royal Family occurs.