Princess Diana was a world icon. From her fashion sense to her very public, tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles. Princess Diana was a national treasure to people because of how different she was from the past Princesses. Princess Diana made a lasting impact on the world through her charitable work, advocacy for human rights, and openness about mental health. She was known for her immense amount of charisma, compassion, and style earning her the nickname, “the People’s Princess.”  The death of the People’s Princess devastated the entire world. But how exactly did she die? 

Princess Diana died on August 31st, 1977 from injuries sustained earlier that night in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Dodi Fayed, Diana’s partner, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were also found dead inside the car. There are many different theories about Diana’s death from The Royal Family’s role in her death, paparazzi, pregnancy scandals, or vehicle and driver sabotage. 

Since the divorce of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, The Royal Family was concerned about the potential embarrassment arising from Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed. Many suspect the Royal Family had something to do with her death because of the potential threat their relationship imposed on the monarchy’s image. In an interview in 1995 with some of Diana’s close friends, we get an insight into Diana’s fear of the Royal Family, “She had the premonition she would be killed or die … not in a natural way,” says Devorik in the documentary. “She would say, ‘I think they are going to kill me. I am going to finish in an accident — helicopter, plane, or car crash.” Diana lived in constant fear of the Royal Family and was always looking over her shoulder, in fear of her dying young. Several pregnancy rumors were surfacing in the public eye on Diana carrying Fayed’s child. Many suspect the Royal Family went through drastic measures to prevent this potential scandal for the Royals. 

Another conspiracy theory is whether or not the driver of the car, Henri Paul, was intoxicated. According to TheGuardian, Mohamed Al-Fayed, the father of the late Dodi Fayed, believed there was a swap of blood vials before the police reports were released to the media. He maintained that the Royal Family conspired to kill his son because they did not like Diana dating an Egyptian. Al-Fayed insists that Diana was pregnant and planning to marry Dodi and that the royal family could not countenance the princess marrying a Muslim.

There are still many different conspiracies that still surround the death of Princess Diana. Diana left a mark on the world, even years after her death, she is still the People’s Princess.