Final Days

A smiling and happy Diana and Dodi in the Lift at the Ritz Hotel	The Imperial Suite, Ritz Hotel - Diana and Dodi dined here before they met their fate	Diana enters the Ritz at 9:50pm

Diana found happiness at last but tragically it was to be short-lived

Diana had first met Dodi Fayed 10 years earlier than first thought at a Windsor Polo Match. Diana introduced him to a close friend, supermodel Cindy Crawford, long before the romance became public, in November 1996, Diana had taken her to the Harrods store that Dodi's father owned, even though it was long after the closing time. As they stood in the dark, deserted store, all of the lights were suddenly switched on and Dodi came down an escalator "May I present Dodi?', Diana said, 'Here he is the boss - and also my boyfriend' When asked if they would marry, Diana replied 'it's too soon to say, beside's I am so happy I don't even have time to think about it'.

On Friday 11th July 1997, Diana, William and Harry accompanied by the Egyptian born owner of the London department store, Harrods, Mohammed Al-Fayed, his wife Heini and four of their children, set off from London for Mohammed Al-Fayed's holiday home "Castle Ste Helene" in St. Tropez, Southern France. This was a 10 bedroom cream villa set amid a 10 acre estate perched on cliffs overlooking the azure sea, from the estate a mile long flight of steps led to the sea, a private beach and a pier. From here Mohammed Al-Fayed's guests could be ferried out to his 40ft yacht, the Jonikal. Dodi joined the holiday part way through and even rented a disco so that Diana and the boys could dance the night away without press and paparazzi intrusion.

Dodi Fayed - after their Mediterranean holiday in 1997, Diana confided to a friend that she felt newly loved	Diana, Princess of Wales England's Finest Rose 1961 - 1997	Diana and Dodi towards the end of their short romance together

Diana fulfilled a trip to Bosnia during her holiday, on a chritable engagement regarding landmines, and then returned to the Sardinian Cost where Diana and Dodi were captured on camera having fun on a jet ski. When Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed flew from Sardinia to Paris on August 30th 1997, (it was never Diana's intention to go to Paris for the final day of their holiday - she had insisted on flying home to see her beloved boys, but was asked to go along by Dodi) - they were aware of the attention they were receiving from the worlds press.

Diana and Dodi dined at the Ritz Hotel, owned by Dodi's father, in central Paris, then at about midnight (Central European Time), they left for the 15 minute journey to the "Champs Élysees" where Dodi owned a flat. The black bulletproof Mercedes 280SL that was chosen for the fateful journey was a three year old rental car that had a chequered history. It had previously been stolen and stripped for parts before being repaired by Mercedes but it wasn't the best choice of vehicle for evading any pursuers as it was a heavy car that was best suited to motorway cruising and not weaving in and out of traffic in a busy city. In the underpass at the Pont D'Alma tunnel, the car went horribly out of control and crashed, Dodi and Chauffeur Henri-Paul died instantly. Diana survived the crash but despite efforts to save her, she she was pronounced dead at 4:00 a.m (GMT) after suffering from a Stroke in La Pitié Salpêtriére Hospital, Paris - only Diana and Dodi's English Bodyguard, Trevor Rees Jones survived. Some reports later wrote of the fact that the reason that the ambulance was delayed in taking Diana to the Hospital was so that she had time to have an abortion - this was dismissed as untrue by the Royal Coroner six years later at an inquest into the deaths which were believed to have been an assination and not an accident. Opposite:- Diana on board the Jonikal just days away from her death

Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi and Chauffeur Henri Paul captured on the Ritz security camera

Possibly the last ever photo to be taken of Diana with Dodi