Lady Diana – Top Secret

b) Another Mercedes (very similar, but sadly with transparent windows), that was going to be parked in Rue Cambon, close to the secondary exit at the back of the Ritz, was going to be used for the secret escape. This latter car would carry the real Diana and Dodi.

The three vehicles would have to leave as one. The Mercedes carrying the true Diana and Dodi was then going to drive on the road along the Seine in the direction of the airport, while, from the main entrance of the Ritz, the other Mercedes and the Range Rover were going to go towards Dodi's apartment on Rue Arsene-Houssaye, near the Arc of Triumph, to pick up Diana's luggage and to take it to the airport Le Bourget.

In fact, the trick was in the intention of deceiving the paparazzi, reporters and onlookers making them believe that Diana and Dodi would have entered the Mercedes parked outside the main entrance. In reality it was clearly visible on the videos recorded by cameras at the Ritz (even if the images are dark) that those who got on this Mercedes were different people camouflaged, including a blonde woman.

To make things clear, this decoy Mercedes was going to take the following path: it was going to depart from Ritz, to cross Place Vendôme, towards Rue Saint Honoré and arrive at Rue de Rivoli, then it was going to turn left in the direction of Place de la Concorde, to turn right on Avenue des Champs-Elysèes in the direction of the Arc of Triumph, and finally it was going to go straight until it reached its destination, Dodi's apartment, which is located on Rue Arsene-Houssaye, on the right just before the Arc of Triumph.

On the ground floor at the back of the Ritz there is a door, this is a secondary exit that leads to the dark road of Rue Cambon. After midnight Dodi and Diana together with bodyguards: Henri Paul e Trevor Rees-Jones would exit that door. Both cars, the Mercedes carrying the real Diana and the decoy that was parked in front of the main entrance of the Ritz, were going to leave simultaneously.

The plan was very simple: the paparazzi, that were waiting for the couple to get on the Mercedes located in front of the Ritz, would follow this car instead of the one that was parked in the back. The path that the couple would follow on board of the new Mercedes with clear windows, was not going to be the same one of the Mercedes parked in front of the main entrance of the Ritz.

According to the escape plan, hoping that the two vehicles would not come across each other, the actual path of the Mercedes carrying the real Diana and Dodi was going to be the following: to start from Rue Cambon, to cross Rue Saint Honorè, to arrive at Rue de Rivoli, then on Rue Royale to turn left towards Place de la Concorde, to go straight at the traffic lights and then to turn slightly on the left to take the road Along the Seine (La Seine) on Cours la Reine, adjacent Cours Albert 1er, then to pass the Alma tunnel and to continue on the Avenue de New York and the Avenue du Prèsident Kennedy, and next to enter the Avenue de Versaille in order to reach the entrance of the Périphérique (Périph') of Porte de St-Cloud (the ring road outside the city). At this point on the highway it was going to take the left towards Quai d’Issy and Port d’Ivry up to Port de la Villette. To later exit the Périphérique and merge on Avenue J. Jaurès driving up to Le Bourget airport.

1997 Saturday, August 30, 11:00 pm: Henri Paul calls Etoile Limousine Park to order another Mercedes dark and armoured, this car has to be delivered immediately and to be parked on the street on Rue Cambon, which is located on the back of the Hotel. However, Dodi and Henri Paul certainly make the following huge mistake: they should have not chosen a Mercedes identical to the car they used that afternoon; it would have been better to use a different model, with tinted windows in any case, not to drag any attention to themselves. Not taking into account this important detail, they order a black Mercedes, the same colour of the decoy car that was parked outside the main entrance of the Ritz (identical to the one they used that afternoon with plate: 405 JVJ75).

Furthermore, this backup Mercedes Limousine, with clear windows, was rented many times by the Hotel Ritz and it is the same car that was stolen to a driver several months before. After it was recovered, it was placed for a time in the Parisian parking lot (garage) of Saint-Ouen, at the moment of the call the car had already been in the Etoile Limousine Park of Paris for two months. The deadly car of the crash is therefore a Mercedes Benz, Limousine, 600 series, type Sedan, 12 cylinders, model S-280, colour black, armoured, with clear windows and the plate: 688 LTV 75 (Henri Paul had never driven it).

1997 Saturday, August 30, 11:42 pm: Until 12:06 am Henri Paul showed up many times on the apron of the main entrance of the Ritz, to have a conversation with the many paparazzi that were there. Regardless of all the rumours written by books and gossip magazines about: “What Henri Paul said and revealed to the photographers?” According to the plan of Dodi, Henri simply tried to mislead the paparazzi, telling them: «The Princess will soon exit from the main entrance of the Ritz, so when she will show up, I ask everyone present here not to be too intrusive».

Examining the existing footage of those minutes, and observing Henri Paul's lip-reading, or which consonants he expressed with the movement of his lips, it seems clear that he also expressed the following to the paparazzi: «When we leave I am willing to challenge you in a race, me and this Mercedes which is outside the entrance of the Ritz.».

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:10 and 13 seconds am: In a video shot inside the cabin of the elevator at Ritz, we can see Diana and Dodi in the background, they are smiling but they do not seem relaxed. The very last radiant smile of Lady Diana can be admired in that film, with her cheerful gaze, maybe a bit forced, but overall satisfied. After having dinner and passing the night in the luxurious Presidential Suite number 102, the lift is now going down from the first floor to the ground floor bringing the couple in the Hotel lobby.

Diana's outfit is the same one she wore that afternoon from 17:40. Together with the couple there are also the two bodyguards, Trevor Rees-Jones and Henri Paul, he will be the driver of the backup Mercedes.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:11 and 00 seconds am: We are on the ground floor in the rear wing of the lobby of the Hotel, in the next 14 minutes the worst road chaos of the XX century will happen at the detriment of Diana. Dodi and Diana have reached the workstation of François Tendil, jointly with the two security guards: Trevor Rees-Jones and Kez Wingfield. Henri Paul is at the beginning of the hallway in the back and he is waiting for the couple to arrive. The twosome pass in front of Henri Paul and heads towards the corridor that leads to the back of the Hotel.

It seems that all of a sudden something alarming happens, the agent Trevor appears to detect someone who allegedly touched Diana while she was walking for a moment alone.

Trevor is the only one who has noticed it, he suddenly stops and seeks cover behind an opening in the right wall, which is located between the lobby and the hallway. His gaze remains sharp, without losing sight of Diana for a moment. He puts his left hand on his gun, which he carries inside the holster around the waist of his pants (it is a .38), then he realizes that it is a false alarm and, without saying a word, continues approaching the couple that is about to reach the small and narrow corridor. At the end of it there is a small door, this is one of the secondary exits in the back of the building and leads directly to Rue Cambon. Their new Mercedes is parked on this small street and it will be used as vehicle to avoid the many paparazzi eager to photograph the Princess, located in front of the main entrance of the Ritz.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:11 and 53 seconds am : the very last videos from Hotel Ritz are silent, but the movements of the performers on the run appear to want to tell us something, their tension is very high revealing their thoughts and fears. Before exiting from the last door, Dodi and Diana are clinging to each other. Observing this behaviour from a psychological point of view, this type of hug, keeping the fingers of one's hand tight between the fingers of the hand of another person, with one's arm on the lower part of the back, is a tangible sign that the individual, Diana in this case, is unsure of herself, she is not at ease and asks for support and protection, she is anxious, has a great fear and apprehension.

We are unsure of what exactly she was thinking in that precise moment to have led her to that gesture, but one thing is sure, Diana was experiencing a combination of agitation, anxiety and concerns about a possible danger and the worry that something extremely serious could be happening to her. Now the couple is down the hallway, a few meters away from the secondary exit of the Ritz, there are neither armchairs nor benches to sit on, there is only the door that faces the narrow, gloomy and dark street of Rue Cambon.

To the left of this dim corridor there are some windows of one of the many shops of the Ritz, instinctively, Diana does not lose the opportunity to check her silhouette, outlined by her suit, reflected on the glass of the light up window.

Besides Henri Paul there is also Trevor Reese-Jones, often focused on looking at his watch. Henri Paul explains to Diana and Dodi on which side and spot of the side-walk the Mercedes is parked and makes clear how to reach it, after that he will give the couple the green light by inviting them to come out and will show his assistance by preceding them. As expected, Kez Wingfield and Philippe Dourneau are now in their respective vehicles at the front entrance of the Ritz, ready to leave at the exact previously agreed time.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:15 and 50 seconds am: Henri Paul leaves the Ritz through the service door which is in the back, goes on the side walk of the Rue Cambon, checks the road and sees three men, probably some photographers stationed on the other side of the street, he nods at them, raising his right hand, or, anyway, he performs some kind of greeting. “Many journalists have asserted that with that act Henri Paul wanted to give to the three a kind of signal to start an activity plan, previously concurred”.

According to other reporters Henri Paul's behaviour is very suspicious, some private investigators and media have connected Henri Paul's gesture to some kind of “sign of agreement”, associating it with the fact that he had sold information about the strategy the couple would have used that night on board of the Mercedes.

In reality, Henri Paul got out of the back of the Ritz simply to verify where, on Rue Cambon, was the backup Mercedes parked, the car he had requested an hour before (this is the vehicle which will be used in a few minutes for the escape plan programmed by Dodi and the man in charge of the security at the Ritz, François Tendil). The three individuals that Henri Paul greeted remotely raising his right arm, could simply have been some paparazzi or maybe some people that he knew.

These three may as well have been the two employees of the Park Etoile Limousine that delivered the keys of the car ordered to them, to a servant of the Ritz, and maybe they were waiting for a verification by Henri Paul.

Let us consider, however, that the information of the presence of a second Mercedes on Rue Cambon was known both to some of the Ritz staff and to the employees of Park Etoile Limousine. As we will see below, there are tangible elements that demonstrate the complete absence of a betrayal by Henri Paul against the famous couple. Contrary to this, Mohamed Al-Fayed claimed that Henri Paul that night betrayed his son by allying and cooperating with the French and British intelligence services.

FROM THIS MOMENT ON FOR THE FLEEING PASSENGERS

BEGINS A 5 MINUTES COUNTDOWN

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:19 and 50 seconds am: After a total of about 10 minutes waiting in the hallway in the back, the two CCTV surveillance cameras of the Ritz, filmed the last images of the Princess still alive, while exiting in silence from the small secondary door of the luxurious hotel. It is a warm late summer evening, particularly sultry, but not gloomy at all. At the flash of the few photographers hidden there, Diana appears with a casual outfit of a rather sporty cut, a well-worn black blazer, white stretch pants, long but summery and Versace pump shoes with medium-low heel.

She is not carrying anything, not a handbag and nor even a mobile phone, it seems that she might have dressed like that, purposely lightweight and sporty, to give the impression she was not undertaking a long journey, or to cover the eventuality of having to rush or to run away on foot, in case an emergency would have happened. She is certainly not going on a super stylish illuminated runway with a crimson red carpet, where all the superstars of the globe parade, and there are absolutely no macho bodyguards or crowds of photojournalists with cameras and TV broadcasting worldwide from behind the barriers.

Diana comes out in an absolute silence of a cold and dark vibe, the atmosphere brings shivers as in a thriller film that causes high tension and great fear. The Princess is dressed like one of the many simple girls next-door, white summery trousers, tight on her slim legs that enhance her fast walk in the darkness of this dreary road she is using to flee in secret.

Just out of the hotel, the couple is now preceded by Henri Paul walking on the side-walk that borders the back of the Ritz. Instantly, the flashes of the few photojournalists sputter continuously their blazing lights, it seems to hear a continuous loud noise, a crackle of fireworks and a loud rustling, like the sudden fall of hail stones of disproportionate size. They're about to reach the Mercedes parked a few ten meters away on the right central side of the road Rue Cambon, next to the same side-walk bordering the hotel. One in front of each other there is Henri Paul, then Diana and, right after, Dodi followed by the second bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones.

A few meters after exiting the back door of the hotel, with a faster pace, Trevor Rees-Jones passes Dodi and reaches Diana while she is walking alone, then he holds on tight to her as a way to protect her. The group arrived at the Mercedes that awaits them, the engine is running, the car is ready in the middle of the road. An employee of the hotel opens the doors. Observing the vehicle, Henri Paul turns to the attendant and, with a warning tone, he asks him: «Why aren't the windows darkened, couldn't you bring a different car?». Then, turning to the paparazzi standing there, almost smiling, he shouts: «Are you ready? You are not going to get me!».

However, the four passengers quickly take seat in the new vehicle. Trevor Rees-Jones keeps the rear door on the left open for the Princess and helps her sit, Diana gets in the car without taking her blazer off, Dodi enters through the same door, sitting to the left next to Diana. Behind the wheel, it's Henri Paul, beside him Trevor Rees-Jones.

Dodi receives another phone call as soon as he gets in the vehicle. Henri Paul puts the Mercedes in gear and leaves quickly, they are chased by many motorcycles and cars driven by photographers, other people and onlookers, that did not fell for the trick of the two Mercedes.

The reason for which some photographers were also present on the dark street of Rue Cambon at the back of the Ritz is due to the fact that:

1) Paparazzi are well organized.

2) That night the paparazzi present there are numerous because somebody alerted them.

3) The paparazzi have assistants and with them they have surrounded the Ritz Hotel structure.

4) The paparazzi communicate with each other rapidly through mobile phones and long range walkie-talkies.

5) There are printing services, such as the one of James Andanson and Guy Croussy, which inform about all the movements and the appearence of VIPs. External agents, working for the journalists of these services, are guys who use motorcycles and scooters. They are many, young, cheap and they have the cellphone numbers of all photojournalists registered with the agencies of their printing service, all that it takes is to send a single information message, SMS or text to reach them all in just one second.

6) Like the secret services, also the most obstinate paparazzi have a tiny bug-radar device, easily applicable to the vehicle they have decided to stalk or intercept. The waves emitted by the device are reflected at a specific frequency to a central body, the waves then return to the receiver that automatically compares the visual field between the emission frequency and the one received. The transmitter can then trace the location of the trajectory while the vehicle is in motion, follow its movements or identify the shape, the position and the area in which it is situated at that moment.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12.20 am: The Mercedes with the foursome, Diana, Dodi and their two bodyguards, moves away at full speed. A few paparazzi immediately take some pictures. Some witnesses said: «the Mercedes was chased by a single car and two motorcycles». But this information results to be fake, in reality the chase was done by an entire procession formed by a dozen motorcycles and cars. In contrast to what someone asserted, during the whole ride Trevor Reese-Jones never buckled up his seat-belt.

The Mercedes of the couple is now stopped in front of the red traffic light of Place de la Concorde. From inside the vehicle Diana, a bit frightened, looks all around her. On of the paparazzi will later say: «It seemed that, among the chasers, the Princess identified someone she knew very well because she turned to Dodi pointing towards the outside of the window». Seeing that, despite the traffic light still being red, Dodi orders to his driver to leave immediately.

From this moment on, until reaching the Alma Tunnel, the speed of the Mercedes will increase considerably. Some have stated that a top speed of 150 to 180 km per hour has to not be excluded. It is very dangerous to cross the big and crowded roadway of Place de la Concorde, it intersects with other stop lights connected with dozens of longitudinal lanes. A French journalist has confirmed that, according with the data registered by a speed camera located about 400 meters before the entrance of the Alma Tunnel, Diana's Mercedes was travelling at 196 km per hour. Along that section of the Along Seine the maximum allowed speed is 50 km per hour. However, the Mercedes was able to break away from the parade of paparazzi.

1997 Sunday, August 31, around 12:22 am: Right before entering the tunnel of death, the Eiffel Tower, all light up, is the last panoramic view that the couple is able to admire in the night sky of Paris.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:23 and 56 seconds am: The motorcyclist Eric Pètel (one of the eye witnesses) is overtaken by Diana's Mercedes, shortly before it entered the Alma Tunnel.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:23 and 57 seconds am: A white Fiat Uno, from the right roadway parallel to Rue J. Goujon, is about to enter the Along Seine on at full speed, to later come across with Diana's Mercedes. The Fiat has a broken exhaust and emits a high pitch and crackling noise, like the stuttering of powerful rounds of gunfire.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:23 and 58 seconds am: From this moment, the sudden entrance of the Fiat combined with its deafening noise, catches Henri Paul by surprise, alarming him. In an attempt to avoid the impact on the right side, The Mercedes deviates quickly to the left and starts drifting. The driver Henri Paul is unable to slow down his vehicle or to control its direction and continues his ultra-high-speed race zigzagging.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:23 and 59 seconds am: François Levistre (one of the eye witnesses) sees Diana's Mercedes skidding, from the rear-view mirror of his grey Ford Ka. To better see what is happening, he immediately parks his car at the end of the tunnel on the right, but he does not get out of his vehicle.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:24 am: The Mercedes enters the tunnel. Right now, immediately after having swiped along the pillar No. 3, the Mercedes with Diana on board crashes fatally against the pillar No. 13 of the Alma Tunnel.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:24 and 2 seconds am: Every vehicle that was inside the tunnel during the dash and the crash, gets out of it, including the white Fiat Uno. Later, through various testimonies it will be identified that this Fiat belongs to Le Van Thanh.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 00:24 and 3 seconds: In the lit and silent darkness of the tunnel, a strange atmosphere reigns. The Mercedes is alone, placed sideways facing the opposite driving direction, it is almost at the centre of the roadway, but closer to the right side of the wall and with the left wheel on the side-walk. Its nose is quite crumpled and the engine is smoking. On the ground there are patches of oil and water, but very little petrol. Both headlights are still on and the muffler, still attached, is hanging to the ground. The horn is still on and it owls uninterruptedly.

1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:24 and 15 seconds or so am: After entering the tunnel with his motorcycle, Eric Pètel approaches the recently crashed Mercedes. After looking inside (without opening the doors) and after seeing the four victims, he immediately hops on the saddle of his motorcycle and exits the tunnel to alert the police from a phone booth that is located right above the tunnel.

1997 Sunday, August 31, around 12:25 am: Also François Levistre leaves the tunnel with his Ford Ka.

1997 Sunday, August 31, around 12:25 and 30 seconds or so am: To the sight of the Mercedes, smoking and howling, in the middle of the road, other vehicles, and the motorized procession of photojournalists behind them, stopped at the entrance to the tunnel, blocking the entry of both lanes. The first photojournalist that got closer (on foot) to the damaged Mercedes is named Serge Arnal. The second is the photographer Romuald Rat, followed by his colleague Christian Martinez.

1997 Sunday, August 31, around 12:26 am: A vehicle stops on the opposite lane of the tunnel, it is Dr. Frèdèric Maillez, who was there by chance. He approaches the Mercedes and returns to his car, right after, to take an oxygen mask. In the meantime he calls for medical aid. Having returned to the victims, he assists the Princess right away. Diana is alive, she talks, but has an internal haemorrhage in the lungs.

MINUTES OF THE CRASH

Sunday morning of August 31 1997 was just born, in the dark of the night which anticipated the dawn. Precisely at 12:24 am, Lady Diana remained victim of a serious car accident, in the Alma Tunnel, located in the centre of Paris. The armoured Mercedes, that transported Diana and Dodi, had left the Ritz Hotel only four minutes before the final impact against the deadly 13th pillar of the tunnel. The vehicle was driven by Henri Paul, beside him there was Trevor Rees-Jones. Soon before entering the fatal underpass, in order to avoid a sudden impact with another vehicle on the right side, the Mercedes violently swerved to the left.

With its high speed, the Mercedes started to skid, swiping along the third pillar, which is at the beginning of the tunnel on the left of the two lanes roadway, this sudden swerving caused the opening of the airbags of the car, that proceeded rapidly, zigzagging. At this point, the driver's natural instinct forced him to brake all of a sudden, and while being at the beginning of the slope, the vehicle collided violently and frontally against the thirteenth pillar on the left of the gallery.

Right after the impact, the Mercedes, still in movement, spun on itself to later stop, facing the opposite driving direction, almost in the middle of the roadway. The front face of the vehicle is crumpled, the engine is smoking but the passenger cockpit was still intact. The continuous acoustic sound of the horn remained on, filling the void of the silence, left there screaming about the happened tragedy with a resonant echo.