London Investigators Deem Diana's Death an Accident

Aug. 26, 2005 — -- London investigators probing the late Princess Diana's death now believe she was the victim of a tragic accident, confirming what French authorities concluded, according to the British newspaper Evening Standard.

The British inquiry, known as Operation Paget, used the latest technology and forensic techniques -- not available at the time of Diana's death -- to examine the Mercedes in which she died. The official report will not be released until the spring.

The conclusion: The car was not tampered with, putting to rest conspiracy theories about Lady Di's death. Diana, her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul died in the crash in a Paris underpass in August 1997.

"There's a part of us that doesn't want to believe that princesses die in car crashes, but what we're discovering now from the police is that we have to face up to reality in the end," said royal biographer Robert Lacey on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The black sedan was brought back to Britain last month so that British forensic scientists could take it apart.

According to the newspaper, after careful checks of the brakes, seatbelts and car, the Mercedes was in "good working order."

One source close to the nearly $2.5 million investigation told the Evening Standard that there have been some interesting developments based on new forensic techniques.

"The French have been very helpful and understanding but they accept that there have been a lot of developments in technology since they carried out their investigation in the aftermath of the crash," the source is quoted as saying.

Following Diana's death, many believed she may have been killed by British intelligence because she was embarrassing the royal family. Fueling the fire was a letter in which Diana said she feared she would die in a car crash and the brakes would be tampered with, which she had given to her butler, Paul Burrell, with orders that he should keep it as "insurance" for the future.

Besides taking apart the car, investigators interviewed bodyguards, security officers, and Burrell and Fayed's many security guards. Prince Charles, the late Diana's estranged husband and the next in line to the throne of England, will be interviewed in the coming months.