‘Diana died after plan to frighten her into leaving lover went horribly wrong’
Britain’s best-known defence lawyer has claimed that the death of Princess Diana was brought about by a failed attempt to frighten her into leaving lover Dodi Fayed.
|Last Updated: Mar 12, 2010, 01:32 PM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Britain’s best-known defence lawyer has claimed that the death of Princess Diana was brought about by a failed attempt to frighten her into leaving lover Dodi Fayed.
Michael Mansfield QC, who represented Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed, at the six-month inquest in 2008 into the couple’s deaths, said he was sure Diana’s killers had no intention of ending her life in a Paris underpass in August 1997.
But he claimed an operation to torpedo her relationship with Dodi and silence her planned criticism of the Government over land mine sales abroad, backfired spectacularly.
“I don’t believe anyone wanted to see her dead. I think there was a plan to sabotage the relationship and alter her life, to try to stop her activities. But this plan went very badly and ended with her death,” the Daily Express quoted Mansfield as saying in an interview with the Barcelona-based newspaper El Periodico.
The radical QC, whose long list of famous cases has included the Jean Charles de Menezes inquest, has previously claimed Diana’s death was no accident.
He outlined his views in memoirs published last year on his colourful 40-year career. But his latest comments offer further insight into his feelings about the case.
Mansfield said British authorities opposed several aspects of Diana’s private and public life.
“I believe the relationship between Diana and Dodi displeased the authorities. In spite of all the work Mohamed Al Fayed did for children and hospitals, he was persona non grata in Britain,” he said.
Adding: “Diana had given interviews attacking the Royal Family, but what most annoyed the authorities was that Diana became very actively involved in the campaign against land mines.”
An inquest jury concluded that the grossly negligent driving of chauffeur Henri Paul and pursuing vehicles had unlawfully killed Diana.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.