It may never be known if Di was pregnant

At the inquest into the princess’ death, judge says pregnancy cannot be proven

LONDON: Princess Diana, 36, Dodi al-Fayed, 42, and chauffeur Henri Paul were killed when their Mercedes car crashed in a road tunnel as they sped away from the Ritz Hotel in Paris, pursued by paparazzi.

Dodi’s father, Harrods luxury storeowner Mohamed al-Fayed, says the couple were killed in 1997 by Britain’s security services on the orders of Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Diana’s former father-in-law. Fayed says the royal family ordered the killings because Diana was pregnant and was planning to marry her Muslim lover.  

It may never be known if Princess Diana was pregnant when she died with her lover Dodi al-Fayed in a high-speed Paris car crash, the inquest into their deaths was told on Wednesday. Summing up his opening remarks on day two of the inquest, Lord Justice Scott Baker said, “It is likely that pregnancy is a matter that cannot be proved one way or the other in scientific terms in this case.” Fayed, whose allegations have been spelt out in court by the judge, also claims that Diana’s body was hastily embalmed to cover up evidence that she was expecting another child. The judge asked the jury to consider if the embalming was legal, who authorised it and whether there was an ulterior motive.       

Scott Baker, presiding over a case that has attracted worldwide press interest and may take up to six months to resolve, said there was conflicting evidence about an engagement ring said to have been bought by Dodi for Diana.

Baker revealed that among the witnesses he hoped to call at the inquest was Paul Burrell, Diana’s devoted butler who she referred to as ‘her rock.’ Britain had to wait for the French legal process to end before the inquest could begin.