Princess Diana

The Operation Paget report documents a comprehensive criminal investigation into allegations that the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed were murdered as a result of a conspiracy. Mohamed Al Fayed alleged that the "Establishment", specifically the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) acting under HRH Prince Philip, orchestrated a staged accident because the Princess was pregnant and the couple intended to marry.

The report concluded there was no evidence to support the motive for murder, finding that the Princess was neither pregnant nor engaged. Forensic analysis of pre-transfusion blood found no pregnancy hormones, and interviews with close confidantes revealed she was not planning to marry Dodi Al Fayed. Claims of a "Milosevic-style" plot involving blinding strobe lights were found to be based on unreliable testimony; the ex-SIS officer who originated the claim admitted he might have "wrongly linked" his knowledge of technical capabilities to an earlier assassination proposal.

Regarding the crash, the report found that Henri Paul’s judgment was significantly impaired by a blood alcohol level of approximately 1.74g/l—twice the UK legal limit—and the presence of prescription antidepressants. Despite allegations of "swapped" blood samples, DNA profiling confirmed the samples used for toxicology belonged to Henri Paul.

The Coroner’s Inquest focused on the legal means by which the deceased came by their deaths. The coroner withdrew the "staged accident" (murder) verdict from the jury, ruling that a conspiracy was unsupported by evidence and rested on mere speculation. He noted that such a plot would have required the perpetrators to arrange a complex operation with less than two hours' notice.

Instead, the jury was directed to consider unlawful killing caused by grossly negligent driving. This applied to both the following paparazzi, who restricted the Mercedes’ movement while driving at excessive speeds, and Henri Paul, who drove at twice the speed limit while intoxicated. The inquest ultimately highlighted that the failure to wear seatbelts and the specific impact with the thirteenth pillar were critical factors in the fatalities. Essentially, while the crash was not a premeditated murder, it was an avoidable tragedy caused by the negligent actions of the driver and those in pursuit.