The memory of Princess Diana shines just as bright in 2022 as it did in 1997. This week marks the 25th anniversary of her death, and mysteries remain over what happened that day. Investigators still lament the enigma of a white Fiat Uno that fled the scene.
Princess Diana In August 1997
The story of Diana’s death can be recited by heart for nearly every adult who was alive at the time. She left the Ritz Paris with her partner Dodi Fayed. Their driver Henri Paul took a back way out to avoid paparazzi and he was apparently three times over the legal limit. No one was wearing a seatbelt. Paul lost control of the speeding car when it struck a white Fiat and swerved into a support pillar.
Photographers who were trailing the car swarmed upon the wreck. Some chose to help, while others stood back and ghoulishly snapped photographs. In 10 minutes, an ambulance arrived. Police soon arrested the photographers. Diana’s heart was displaced, and she was pronounced dead hours later.
What About That Fiat?
To mark the anniversary of Diana’s death, Channel 4 is airing a new documentary entitled Investigating Diana: Death In Paris. Detectives from the 1997 French police open up about the one door left open from the tragedy. Head of the Brigade Criminelle Martine Monteil says, “The whole of the world has struggled to accept that the Princess of Wales died in a mundane accident.”
His frustration lies in the unknown: “I have frustration about the Fiat Uno because I like a well-finished business … For sure, it’s out there. Unfortunately, we don’t have it.” Witnesses at the scene said they saw a white Fiat Uno leaving the tunnel and its driver was focused on his mirrors. Furthermore, traces of white paint were found on Diana’s vehicle.
A second detective says, “It’s not a hallucination. It’s not something we threw out to create a diversion. It exists.” A third detective bolsters up their investigation, adding that authorities “did everything we could to understand what happened … In my mind the only door that remains open is the testimony of the driver of the Fiat Uno.”
Is Someone Else At Fault?
While the driver could help corroborate what exactly happened in the tunnel, Monteil is quick to say they didn’t do anything wrong. “You know, the driver of the Fiat Uno, he’s not the real culprit,” she says. “He’s driving along quietly and then a Mercedes arrives at high speed and bumps into him. The responsibility remains with the Mercedes.”
Diana meant so much to the world that every single detail from her last night is invaluable, so hopefully, the anniversary of her loss will bring people together to honor her.