It was 29 years ago that news broke of Princess Diana’s tragic passing, as the singer died following a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997.
It was the early hours of the morning, and their car was being pursued by paparazzi, but ultimately collided inside Paris’ Pont de l’Alma tunnel. The impact killed Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, who had recently begun a relationship with Diana, as well as their driver, Henri Paul. First responders tried to save Princess Diana, but she was pronounced dead at around 4 a.m.
It was the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook who confirmed the news, saying, “I am greatly shocked by this news. Our first thoughts must be with her children and family at this time of immense loss to them.”
There Was One Survivor Of The Crash
Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only one who survived the tragic car crash 1997.
“We’d been informed that the couple were going out for the evening. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been informed of the venue,” Rees-Jones recalled on Larry King Live of the accident. “And this was a problem that had happened all the way through that last 10-day trip, that myself and the other bodyguard weren’t given enough information to do a good job as we saw fit.
“There was a lack of information coming from Dodi. And that night was a case and point: that we didn’t know the venue.”
Rees-Jones sustained severe head and chest injuries in the crash, with his face having hit the dashboard so had it was “completely smashed,” Luc Chikhani, the surgeon who treated him, told the BBC.
“I have never seen so many fractures on a man who was still alive,” he added, with the surgery having taken 11 hours.
Princess Diana’s Brother Charles Spencer Pays Tribute On 29th Anniversary Of Her Passing
On Instagram, Charles Spencer posted a series of photos showing a flag being flown at half-staff over at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, which is the families estate where the late princess is buried.
“31 August. My least favourite day,” Spencer captioned the post.
Spencer continues to honor his sister’s legacy, and is doing so with an upcoming book titled, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, where he will provide ” the most intimate, loving, and honest portrait yet of his sister.”
“In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before a watching world and shared his grief at losing his beloved sister, Diana. Now, nearly thirty years later, he tells the astonishing story of his life with Diana and the tragic week of her death,” the description of the book reads. “In childhood, Charles and Diana, the youngest Spencers, were inseparable – secretly calling one another Duch and Carlos. As each other’s closest confidantes, they roamed the family estate, endured extremely challenging boarding schools, survived terrifying nannies, and helped each other through the agony of their parents’ divorce.”
“Wales, now King Charles III, and overnight became a global icon. Charles saw his older sister serve the world’s marginalized and relish being mother to her treasured sons,” the description continues. “But, pursued by a barbaric press as her royal marriage crumbled, she was left desperately alone. Charles always tried to be there for Diana – until that black night in August, 1997.:
The book will be released on September 22, 2026.
