![]() The monarchy now has a far more nimble PR operation, adept at social media and rapid-response while still able to stage grand events, like this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, with aplomb. "Diana's death is this whirlwind moment, which requires the monarchy to reorient its public image, to embrace a more modern, expressive kind of celebrity image as a way of appealing to audiences," royal historian Ed Owens told AFP. The queen subsequently paid tribute to Diana and addressed the "overwhelming expression of sadness" seen worldwide. The tragic epilogue in Paris also cast a spotlight on the British royal family, whose reaction to Diana’s death at first seemed out of step with the public outpouring of grief. Her life and premature death remain a source of continuing public interest, as evidenced by a wealth of movies and documentaries depicting her life, including the recently released "Spencer" and "The Princess", as well as the highly acclaimed Netflix series "The Crown". The British public was bereft at the loss of the glamorous Diana, who was known worldwide for her charitable works. After almost six months and listening to more than 250 witnesses, a jury found in 2008 that Diana and Fayed had been unlawfully killed by the negligent driving of Henri Paul, who had been drunk and driving at high speeds to shake off the paparazzi. As speculation and rumours swirled, Britain launched what turned out to be the longest-running and most expensive inquest in its history to find the truth behind Diana's death. They all agreed that he had done everything he could.īut Mailliez was not the only one with questions about that night. “I checked with my medical professors and I checked with police investigators,” he said. “Did I do everything I could to save her? Did I do correctly my job?” he asked himself. “It was a massive shock to learn that she was Princess Diana, and that she died,” Mailliez said. ![]() Her companion Fayed and the driver also died. I didn’t ask them for help, but they didn’t interfere with my job.”įirefighters quickly came and Diana was taken to a Paris hospital at around 1:40am. She died more than an hour later, at 3am. But Mailliez said he had no criticisms of their actions. “They didn’t hamper me having access to the victims. “I tried to comfort her.”Īs he worked, he noticed paparazzi had gathered to take pictures of the scene. “Someone behind me told me the victims spoke English, so I began to speak English, saying I was a doctor and I called the ambulance,” he said. I realised she was very beautiful, but my attention was so focused on what I had to do to save her life, I didn’t have time to think, 'Who was this woman?'.” “I was in the car on the rear seat giving assistance. “I know it’s surprising, but I didn’t recognise Princess Diana,” he said. “Thanks to my respiratory bag (.) she regained a little bit more energy, but she couldn’t say anything.” He ran to his car to call emergency services and grab a breathing bag, a balloon-like device that helps someone breathe. ![]() And the female passenger, the young lady, was on her knees on the floor of the Mercedes. She had her head down, she had difficulty to breathe. The front passenger was screaming – he was breathing, he could wait a few minutes. He describes what he saw: “Four people, two of them were apparently dead, no reaction, no breathing. And the two others, on the right side, were living but in severe condition. I opened the door, and I looked inside,” he said. Mailliez was driving into the tunnel when he spotted a smoking Mercedes limousine nearly split in two. “I feel a little bit responsible for her last moments.” “I realise my name will always be attached to this tragic night,” Mailliez, who was off-duty and on his way home from a party when he came across the car crash, told The Associated Press. First medic on the sceneĭoctor Frederic Mailliez, the first medic on the scene, is still marked by what happened on that fateful night 25 years ago – and the realisation that he was one of the last people to see Princess Diana alive. The car’s other two occupants were driver Henri Paul, who was the Ritz’s deputy head of security, and Trevor Rees-Jones, a member of the Fayed family’s personal protection team.Īfter crossing Place de la Concorde, the car entered the Pont de l’Alma tunnel at 12:23am, when Paul lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a pillar. ![]() Diana Spencer, the princess of Wales, and her partner, Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, left the Ritz Hotel in Paris en route to Fayed’s apartment on Rue Arsène Houssaye a little after midnight on August 31, 1997.
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