Throughout this past week the UK (and I suspect the world) press has been featuring extracts from various personal letters between Diana, Princess of Wales, and her lover, Dodi Al Fayed, and her father-in-law, Prince Philip. The letters have been used as evidence in the Inquest into her death in an attempt to support or refute claims made by Dodi’s father, Mr Al Fayed, that Diana and Dodi were killed by the British establishment.
Mr Al Fayed’s claims are:
- that Diana was pregnant and carrying Dodi’s child;
- that Dodi was about to ask Diana to marry him;
- that because the alleged resulting marriage would leave the the heir to the British throne with a Muslim step-father and step-brother or sister, Prince Philip and other members of the British establishment arranged to have them killed.
At the Inquest, Mr Al Fayed’s barrister has tried to establish the case for the impending marriage. Extracts from letters from Diana to Dodi have been produced attempting to show how close she was to him. She expresses her love and appreciation for his kindness and gives him an important gift. Raine, Countess Spencer, Diana’s stepmother, has been brought in to support the relationship. She had been transformed, during Diana’s life, from wicked stepmother to close confidante. She felt it was highly likely Diana and Dodi would have become engaged and then got married. When asked whether the princess would have allowed herself to become pregnant outside wedlock, her reply could have been inspired by one of her mother’s (Barbara Cartland’s) novels.
“Diana was brought up in a quite old-fashioned way. I don’t personally believe she would have considered it. It would have been out of the question for her.”
It should be remembered that Raine is also an employee of Mr Al Fayed. When interpreting the letters it may be useful to bear in mind what a close friend of Diana (Rosa Monckton) said, that Diana was often effusive in her language. It would also be useful to remember that it is perfectly possible to express genuine feeling for someone without having any intention of getting married to that person and also, at the same time, to hold strong feelings for someone else.
The point is that the key witnesses, Diana and Dodi, are missing. They cannot be brought to the Inquest to be questioned about their intentions and to be listened to so that people could make judgements about the truth of what they are saying.
Those contesting Mr Al Fayed’s claims have produced their own letters and witnesses. Extracts of letters between Diana and Prince Philip have suggested a much closer relationship than one would have guessed from the press coverage of Prince Philip’s character. There appears to be concern, warmth, and affection on both sides. Rosa Monckton has testified that Diana could not have been pregnant as Diana had her period six days before her death. However, if I were a conspiracy theorist (and I am not) I could argue that Rosa Monckton has close links to the British Establishment, and that if I were going to kill my daughter-in-law I would want my alleged affection and concern for her on paper in case of any investigation.
Again, the point is that the key witnesses are missing. Diana and Dodi are sadly dead, and few coroners would have to courage to ask an elderly Prince Philip to submit to a public interrogation. Even if the coroner were brave enough to make such a request, I am moderately sure there would be some get-out clause that enabled royalty to escape such tiresome things. (I also suspect that the royal advisers may have their own concerns about the Prince, sometimes allegedly forthright in his views, being in a witness box.) None of the key players can be brought to the Inquest to be questioned about their intentions and to be listened to so that people could make judgements about the truth of what they are saying.
Personally, I am sad that Diana and Dodi were killed in a car ten years ago. I think it is time to accept that Mr Al Fayed and others will never let go of his conspiracy theory, and that no evidence will be produced that will ever settle the matter conclusively. Personally, I feel that the balance of the available evidence swings reasonably in favour of a random motor accident. I just wish that we would soon be able to view the tragic death of a complex woman in a more appropriate perspective.
There is part of me which feels sorry for Al Fayed, he is obviously massively distraught over the loss of his son.
However, the conspiracy theory he is pushing is nonsense. It doesn’t just require an odd view of the facts, to believe it you pretty much have to make up 90% of the “evidence” and then misinterpret the rest.
The letters you mention are an example of the 10% - all they mean is Diana was close to Dodi. Historically, people sent letters like this all the time - without getting married.
Al Fayed has made numerous claims which have all be shown to be wrong. In the manner of a theist clinging to the god of the gaps, each time this happens he jumps on something new.
It is sad. No one wants to outlive their children, but this is not making things better. As you say, nothing will ever convince Mr Al Fayed this was chance so it amazes me that the crown keeps up the pretence. The media frenzy around anything which has “Diana” or “conspiracy” is the worst part - this really does just play to madness.
There will never be an end to the conspiracy theories because conspiracy theorists always have an ace in the hole: whenever an enquiry or an inquest completely scotches any idea of a conspiracy, they can always claim it was “a whitewash” directed by the establishment.
If you then require the conspiracy theorists to prove their case and they fail, they can always say that this is because vital evidence has been covered up by the establishment.
Since a negative can never be proved, this leaves the conspiracy theorists holding all the cards.
It is always sad when two young people in the prime of life meet untimely deaths but it is no more sad because they are Diana Spencer and Dodi Al Fayed than if they were any of the thousands of people who daily around the world meet untimely deaths from accident, war, famine and violence and whose names no one bothers to record.