Events of August 30 - 31, 1997

Diana in one of the CCTV capture at Ritz, Paris

Princess Diana and Dodi arrived in Paris by private jet from Sardinia during the day of August 30. Both left for the Ritz Hotel, which is owned by Dodi’s father. Initially, Dodi had planned to dine with the Princess at a Paris restaurant on the evening of August 30. However, continued harassment by the paparazzi prompted them to change their plans and return to the Ritz Hotel.
                     Henri Paul, the deputy security chief of the Ritz Hotel, had left shortly after the couple had departed for dinner. When they unexpectedly returned to hotel, Paul returned to Hotel too. However, Paul’s precise whereabouts between 7.20 p.m. and 9.45 p.m. are still not known.

Getting into the Merc

          In an attempt to trick the paparazzi presence, Dodi asked one of his security guards to walk out from the front door & signal the driver of Mercedes and Land Rover (which was the trail car). At the same moment, he and Princess would leave the hotel by the back entrance, in a backup car that was called to the hotel just hours before the fateful ride. Finally alerted to the diversion, paparazzi set off for the fast chase to get a glimpse of the couple. 
                       What later happened in the tunnel is history; the agencies were to sign off yet another successful assassination. Reportedly, just before the tunnel entrance a white Fiat Uno collided with the black Mercedes. With number of photographers chasing the car, Henri Paul accelerated the vehicle. He raced into the tunnel at Place de Alma. Shortly after entering the tunnel, the car skidded and rammed into the 13th pillar. Henri Paul and Dodi lost their lives at the scene. Diana was still alive, no visible injuries but internal bleeding. What happened next was even more shocking and was never explained. You can read under the “Suspicious Events”