As the world would have marked her 60th birthday next week, a comprehensive series and podcast are shedding new light on the final days of Princess Diana.
The Daily Mail has engaged with numerous key witnesses and individuals from her inner circle, many of whom are sharing their stories for the first time.
Yesterday, based on their accounts, the night of the tragic accident in Paris and the desperate efforts to save Diana were reconstructed.
Today, we delve into the aftermath that left hearts shattered.
It was 7:06 am local time on Sunday, August 31, 1997, in Paris.
The city was waking up to the end of the summer holiday season, but this dawn was far from ordinary.
Paris had transformed into a somber epicenter, captivating global attention and drawing in senior officials from both France and the UK.
French President Jacques Chirac rearranged his schedule, while Prime Minister Lionel Jospin rushed back to Paris from a conference.
Meanwhile, at Balmoral Castle, the Prince of Wales and Diana’s two former sisters-in-law were preparing to fly to Paris on a Royal Flight aircraft.
The focal point of this upheaval was a room on the first floor of the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital.
This room, with its large windows and blue walls, housed the lifeless body of Diana, Princess of Wales, marking the end of a futile battle to save her following the tragic car crash near the Seine.
Three hours and six minutes had passed since Diana was pronounced dead in one of the hospital’s operating theaters after sustaining fatal injuries in the high-speed collision.
The tunnel where the crash occurred remained closed, serving as a grim reminder of the tragedy that unfolded just after midnight.
The vehicle carrying Princess Diana, her companion Dodi Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul had collided with the 13th pillar of the tunnel, resulting in the deaths of Dodi and Paul, with Dodi’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones sustaining severe injuries.
The hospital premises were bustling with activity, with officials and diplomats gathered to address the unprecedented situation.
Meanwhile, in London, the
