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THE horrifying car crash that killed Princess Diana on August 31, 1997, made the world stand still.

Diana’s last words emphasise how tragic that fateful night was. Here’s what we know.

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Princess Diana was just 36 years old when she diedCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

What were Princess Diana’s last words?

A firefighter on the scene of Princess Diana’s accident revealed the last words she spoke before her death in an interview with The Sun.

Xavier Gourmelon said he thought he had saved her life by giving her CPR moments after her fatal Paris car crash.

The princess was conscious and had her eyes open as he pulled her from the wreckage — only to suffer a cardiac arrest as she was placed gently on a stretcher.

Before she was taken out of the car, he held her hand and comforted her.

He told the Sun: “When I arrived her eyes were open and she was conscious.

In what were reportedly her final words, Diana asked him: “My God, what’s happened?”

The firefighter added: “I massaged her heart and a few seconds later she started breathing again.

“It was a relief of course because, as a first responder, you want to save lives – and that’s what I thought I had done.

“To be honest I thought she would live.

“As far as I knew when she was in the ambulance she was alive and I expected her to live.

What Princess Diana was really thinking on her wedding day to Prince Charles, revealed by a body language expert Judi James
“But I found out later she had died in hospital. It was very upsetting.”

It was only when Diana was put in an ambulance that a fellow paramedic told Gourmelon who the victim was.

He said: “I was so shocked. I knew who she was, but don’t follow British royalty closely.

“I went to the ambulance and looked in and that’s when I recognised her.”

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Diana had two children – Prince William and Prince HarryCredit: Getty

When did Princess Diana die?

Princess Diana died from injuries sustained in a car accident that occurred near midnight on August 31, 1997.

She was 36 years old when she died.

Her driver, Henri Paul, was under the influence and speeding at nearly twice the posted limit in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.

Paul lost control of the vehicle carrying Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones and crashed into the wall of the tunnel.

Fayed and Paul were killed instantly.

Diana was still alive when emergency services arrived at the scene but ultimately succumbed to her injuries at 4.53am.

According to United Press International, initial reports said she had a concussion, a broken arm and a cut to her thigh.

She also suffered severe chest wounds.

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Xavier Gourmelon was at the scene of the crashCredit: Chris Eades – The Sun
The Princess left behind her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, aged 15 and 12 respectively at the time.

Trevor was the only survivor of the crash and the only passenger who wore a seat belt, although he suffered serious injuries.

Where is Princess Diana buried?

The burial took place privately, after a public funeral on Saturday, September 6, 1997.

Princess Diana’s final resting place is on the grounds of Althorp Park, her family home.

Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society.

Princess Diana

She was reportedly laid to rest in the centre of The Oval Lake.

The memorial temple features a black-and-white marble plaque of Diana, with her name engraved across the top.

It also bears a Princess Diana quote which reads: “Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life.

“A kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are.”

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The public can visit Diana’s memorial
The original plan was for the Princess to be laid to rest at the nearby Great Brington church.

Several Spencer family members including Diana’s father are buried there in the Spencer Family Vault.

However, this plan was later abandoned, with the family concerned about the safety and security of her grave.

Diana’s grave is not publicly accessible, though visitors to the Althorp Estate can pay their respects at a dedicated memorial.

PRINCE Harry “threw a lot of javelins at his family” with his bombshell Spare memoir and his relationship is “incredibly strained”, claimed royal experts.

Writer and broadcaster Hugo Vickers claimed that it is “highly commendable” that King Charles has never publicly responded to the biography, which made a number of digs at the royal family.

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Prince Harry threw ‘javelins’ at his family with his bombshell Spare memoir, claims an expertCredit: Getty

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Prince Harry’s biography made a number of damning claims about the royal familyCredit: Getty
Hugo appeared on The Times royal podcast – The Royals – with Roya and Kate – to speak about the Duke of Sussex’s relationship with his family, ahead of his 40th birthday in September.

Host Roya Nikkhah, royal editor at The Sunday Times, said: “The permafrost seems pretty frozen, certainly between the brothers [Prince Harry and Prince William], and I think that relationship with his father is incredibly strained.”

Hugo agreed, saying: “However, he threw a lot of javelins at his family in that book [Spare], and I think it’s highly commendable that the King has never responded publicly to any of these things.

“So I take the view that the door is indeed left open.

“Now, it’s not very easy for Prince Harry to come through the door because, first of all, he says he can’t bring his wife to England.

“He can take her to Colombia, apparently, which is much more dangerous than England, but he can’t bring her here because he doesn’t have security.

“Well, he probably would have a certain amount, anyway.

“For various reasons, he doesn’t, so he pops over from time to time, and there are these brief meetings.

“But I commend the King hugely for his restraint because to have had all those things said about you and about your second wife is pretty unattractive.”

King Charles announced earlier this year that he was undergoing cancer treatment and would be stepping back from public-facing duty just 16 months into his reign.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle have tea & cake with Colombia’s scandal-hit VP as ‘faux royal tour’ kicks off
However, it has since been announced he is now well enough to visit Australia and Samoa in October on a royal tour.

Bombshell Spare claims

The prince’s book came hot off the heels of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries and explosive chat with Oprah Winfrey where they made a series of damning revelations, including how two royals allegedly questioned the colour of Prince Archie’s skin tone.

But there was more to come in Harry’s book, as he recalled an alleged altercation with his brother William which ended with him falling into a dog bowl.

Harry’s father King Charles was also in the firing line for criticism.

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Roya Nikkhah, royal editor at The Sunday Times, claimed Harry’s relationship with his father is ‘strained’Credit: The Times

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Royal writer Hugo Vickers said it is ‘highly commendable that the King has never responded publicly’ to Harry’s claims in SpareCredit: The Times

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Hugo claimed the ‘door is indeed left open’ for a reconciliation between Charles and HarryCredit: Getty
Harry laid into his father for not hugging him after the death of his mother, Diana, the late Princess of Wales.

He also revealed how William disapproved of Harry’s marriage to Meghan and once called her “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.”

Meanwhile, Harry branded Camilla the “villain” and a “wicked stepmother” and accused her of leaking stories to the media about Prince William.

Family bond restored?

Despite any family tension, Prince Harry would put an end to the royal war with King Charles if his full security is restored, pals have claimed.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, lost the right to close protection after stepping back as a working royal.

He has since been stuck in a long-running legal battle over changing his government-funded UK security.

But friends of Harry told The Sunday Times it would be “swords down” if his security were restored.

Meanwhile an insider close to the King said Harry’s belief he controlled security matters was “mistaken”.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on January 8, 2020, they would be stepping down as “senior” members of the Royal Family.

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Despite any family tension, Prince Harry would put an end to the royal war with King Charles if his full security is restored, pals have claimed

MEGHAN Markle is feeling “abandoned” following the 18th staff member quitting working for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, claims an insider.

Josh Kettler has left his role as Prince Harry’s chief-of-staff after only three months – just days before their faux-royal tour to Colombia.

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Another member of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s staff stepped down before their Colombia tourCredit: Splash

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Josh Kettler worked as Harry’s chief-of-staff for just three monthsCredit: Instagram / @aisha_achimugu
Veteran PR supremo Kettler had reportedly been brought in to “guide Harry through his next phase”.

But the staff member stepped down after three months in the role in what Team Sussex insisted was a “mutual decision.”

However, according to Closer source, the latest staffing change has been a “humiliating and demoralising blow” for Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43.

The source claimed: “Of course they’ve tried damage limitation but, behind closed doors it’s utterly humiliating and demoralising.

“Meghan’s secretly feeling quite abandoned after this keeps happening.”

This comes as Meghan – who lives in a £12million mansion in Montecito with Harry, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three – is preparing to launch her American Riviera Orchard brand and has a Netflix cooking show coming out next year.

Sussex staff quitting

It seems a notable number of their staff have struggled to meet the demands of their roles.

In late 2018, just months after their fairytale wedding — and arguably at the height of their popular appeal — Meghan’s personal assistant Melissa Toubati quit after reports she had been “reduced to tears” by the Duchess of Sussex’s demands.

Not long after, private secretary Samantha Cohen, a seasoned royal aide who worked for the late Queen Elizabeth for 17 years, resigned, reportedly frustrated by the couple’s demands.

Harry & Meghan’s aide QUITS after 3 months – so why have 18 of their staff left?
She likened working for them to “managing teenagers”, describing an environment where she was pushed to her limits and allegedly screamed at during their official tour of Australia and the Pacific.
Cohen’s departure was followed by a string of other exits.

In January 2019 Meghan’s female bodyguard of six months, who has never been named for security reasons, also quit.

By March, senior communications secretary Jason Knauf jumped ship amid a string of unsubstantiated bullying complaints against Meghan. He went to work for Prince William and Kate’s Royal Foundation.

Fifteen Palace staff were fired by the Sussexes when they stepped down from royal life.

Harry and Meghan’s PR chief Sarah Latham, who was highly regarded and worked for former US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, left the couple after they quit the UK in 2020. Sarah was then recruited for special projects by the late Queen.

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Many friends and people who have worked with the Duchess of Sussex have defended herCredit: Reuters

‘Meghan’s not a diva’

Meghan has previously been defended by friend and make-up artist, Daniel Martin, who broke down in tears as he said that the Duchess is not a diva.

He said: “What’s so frustrating is that you hear these stories and there’s no truth to them.

“It’s not the same person. In the years I’ve known her, the years I’ve worked with her, she’s never had a diva fit, never.

“I think because I know her so well, and I know she doesn’t deserve all this negative press.”

And one of Meghan’s closest pals Janina Gavankar has backed her long-time friend amid the fallout of Megxit and bullying allegations.

Janina, who is close with Meghan and took the Sussexes’ Christmas card photo in 2019, said the Duchess was “not a bully.”

“I have known Meghan for 17 years,” Janina said in a tweet.

“Here’s what she is: kind, strong, open. Here’s what she’s not: ‘a bully’.”

Lindsay Jill Roth, who had Meghan as the maid of honour at her wedding, also said “goodwill runs in her bones”.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been contacted for comment.

PRINCESS Diana used Harry and William as a PR tool to hurt the then-Prince Charles, claims a royal photographer.

Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, Jim Bennett, who has spent years snapping the Firm, told how he saw Diana first-hand “using her sons” during the breakdown of her marriage.

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Princess Diana on the log flume at Thorpe Park with Harry and William in 1993Credit: Getty – Contributor

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Charles, pictured here in 1994, only ‘ever used the boys once’ for publicity pics saying royal photgrapherCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
He said: “My personal opinion is that she used the children, the two boys, a hell of a lot during that time.

“I know [the then-]Prince Charles only ever used the boys once to have publicity pictures, and that was at Balmoral.

“Diana had been using the boys a little bit as a tool, I shouldn’t really say that but that’s what it appeared to me.

“Maybe Charlie was doing the same, I really don’t know.”

Jim captured the world-famous snap of Di at Thorpe Park with Wills and Harry on the log flume in 1993.

He said back then, before the downfall of the royal marriage in 1996, the family were happy with photographers shooting genuine moments.

But shortly after, Diana would try “to get as much publicity against Charlie as she could”.

He added: “[Things were] never [over the top] in the early days but when things started going wrong with Charles, and she started going to the Chelsea Harbour Club when they first split up, it seemed to me that she was trying to get as much publicity against Charlie as she could.

“When we went to Chelsea Harbour Club she would always park the car at one end and walk all the way down the car park so she could be photographed.”

Recalling the moment he snapped the family at Thorpe Park, Jim told The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson how it unfolded.

What Princess Diana was really thinking on her wedding day to Prince Charles, revealed by a body language expert Judi James
Jim said: “I was driving to Windsor over Easter weekend just to do the usual stuff and as I was driving, I was running a bit late, I saw Diana’s car come past me with backup people.

“I phoned immediately my mate and said ‘Look I’ve just seen the car, they’re not going to be at Windsor, they’re coming away from Windsor’.

“So we turned the cars around and followed as best we could but we lost them.

“We pulled up on the side of the road and between the two of us, made a decision.

“We said ‘Let’s go to Thorpe Park, it’s a long shot I wouldn’t think for one minute she’d be taking the kids to Thorpe Park’.

“So we drove to Thorpe Park, it was only about another three of four miles away, and as we pulled up into the car park, we saw all the royal cars parked at the entrance.

“So we bought tickets, went in and did pictures. These were the pictures of them on smaller rides, like the teacups.

“Because of the publicity Thorpe Park got from the pictures, they were absolutely sold out that weekend.”

Jim said the Managing Director of Thorpe Park at the time, had then personally invited them back the following year when he knew Diana, William and Harry would be there.

Racing to the theme park once again, Jim was in the right place at the right time and able to snap the trio of the water ride.

PRINCESS Diana would still be alive today if she still had proper security, her bodyguard of six years insists.

Ken Wharfe told The Sun how three mistakes led to the beloved royal, 36, being killed in a horror car crash in Paris 27 years ago today.

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Princess Diana with her bodyguard Ken Wharfe in August 1992Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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Diana arriving at the Headway charity launch at the Hilton Hotel in December 1992Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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Diana and Wharfe chat during a visit to Oxford in November 1990Credit: Tim Graham – Getty

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The wreckage of Diana’s car after the fatal crash on August 31, 1997Credit: AFP

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Diana and Dodi Fayed (both partially visible in back seat), bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones (front, left) and driver Henri Paul in the Mercedes shortly before the crashCredit: Getty – Contributor
And he revealed how he had urged Diana to keep her ring of steel Scotland Yard security team before her tragic death.

Diana, Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, 42, and Ritz security chief Henri Paul, who was driving, were killed in the 1997 crash.

The sole survivor of the crash was Dodi’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones.

Paul had been drinking before getting behind the wheel and was driving at a high speed when the car smashed into the 13th pillar of the Pont de l’Alma underpass.

Wharfe – who was Diana’s personal protection officer from 1997 until 1993 – insisted his former boss would still be alive if Rees-Jones had driven instead of intoxicated Paul.

He said Dodi was a “difficult person” and the decision over who drove would have been out of the security team’s hands.

Wharfe added: “Rees-Jones was plateaued out at the bottom of the pyramid, it was very difficult for him to say to others what you should do and what you shouldn’t do.

“The one thing that would have saved Diana’s life that night would have been if they’d kicked out the chauffeur and for Rees-Jones to have driven.

“He couldn’t do that, because he couldn’t speak to Dodi Fayed – he told him what to do.

“And that’s a shame, because had Rees-Jones taken that command, had he taken that decision to boot out Henri Paul, you and I would not having this discussion.”
I was gobsmacked as Diana told me EVERYTHING about Charles’ affair, I kept her secrets for years
Diana’s death sparked an outpouring of public grief from millions around the world who saw her as the People’s Princess.

And images of the smashed-up car sparked shockwaves globally.

Diana and Dodi intended to head a short distance to an apartment he owned off the Champs-Elysees from the Ritz hotel in the French capital.

But in a desperate bid to fool press outside, they decided to use two decoy cars to cover their tracks.

A Range Rover was posted outside the Ritz’s main entrance, with Dodi’s usual driver at the wheel.

Meanwhile, Dodi and Diana climbed into a hired jet-black armoured Mercedes at the back entrance.

Paul, who was four times the legal drinking limit in France, was drafted in from home to drive the couple – and is said to have earlier goaded media outside the hotel waiting to spot them.

A probe after the crash concluded he lost control of the car while driving at high speed, under the influence of both alcohol and prescription drugs.

But Wharfe argues the whole incident could have been avoided if Dodi and Diana’s security hadn’t excluded local police and treated the media as “the enemy”.

He said: “The security also failed because of their inexperience to involve the local police, to have a relationship with the assembled paparazzi.

“You cannot treat the paparazzi or the media as an enemy – that doesn’t work.

“Yes, they can be annoying – but actually not one of them was out to kill Diana, they were there to photograph her.

“So you needed a dialogue, you needed a relationship.

“My relationship working with the media was at times difficult, but most of the time enjoyable.

“I often referred to the media as my Dad’s Army, because they would always keep the princess alive, which they did.

“And so that was the failure of the Fayed security. And that’s a tragedy.”

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Diana clutches flowers as Wharfe looks on in September 1992Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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Charles and Diana pose with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry at Highgrove on July 14, 1986Credit: Getty – Contributor

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The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a welcome ceremony in Toronto at the beginning of their Canadian tour in October 1991Credit: Getty – Contributor
Wharfe also believes that Diana could have been saved from such an early death if the late Queen had retained her Scotland Yard security.

Diana and Charles announced their separation in 1992, and the following year Wharfe decided to step down as her bodyguard.

Just weeks later, Diana decided to axe her entire team – but was not urged to maintain her protection.

Wharfe said: “Yes, Diana had run ins with the Queen occasionally, and other senior members of the royal family.

“But had the Queen insisted that Diana retain her Scotland Yard security, Diana would have accepted it.

“You cannot force security on somebody, they have to say ‘yes, I’ll take it’.

“But the fact that it wasn’t offered, this was her way of saying I want a new life.”

Dian’s decision to cut ties with her security team came just four weeks after Wharfe had implored her to keep them on.

Three weeks after he resigned, Diana asked him to visit her at Kensington Palace.

Wharfe added: “She said, ‘you’ve always been great with advice. If there’s one piece of advice you’d give me, what would it be?’

“I said look, I don’t know what you’re going to do, where you’re going to go.

“But you’re going to need us [Scotland Yard]. Even if you change your sex, you will always be Diana, Princess of Wales.

“So I said I urge you, I urge you, not to lose the Scotland Yard security because we have given you that freedom, we’ve broken rules to allow you to have the normality that you crave for, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t continue, even with me gone.

“Four weeks later, she abandoned the entire security.”

PRINCESS Diana would have eventually “accepted” Charles’ relationship with Camilla if she was still alive, her former bodyguard says.

Ken Wharfe has opened up about his working life with Diana 27 years after she died in Paris.

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Diana and Charles got married on July 29, 1981Credit: Getty – Contributor

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The then Prince and Princess of Wales in Korea, November 1992 – their last official trip togetherCredit: Tim Graham – Getty

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Ken Wharfe, pictured with Diana in 1988, was the royal’s bodyguard for six yearsCredit: Tim Graham – Getty

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Diana Spencer and Camilla Parker-Bowles at Ludlow Races where Prince Charles was competing in 1980Credit: Hulton Archive – Getty
The then-Prince and Princess of Wales split in 1992 and finalised their divorce in 1996.

Two years after Diana was killed in a horror car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, Camilla and Charles publicly revealed their relationship.

But Wharfe, who was Diana’s personal protection officer from 1987 to 1993, said Camilla was on the scene from day one.

Diana famously outed their affair to Martin Bashir in an interview that sent shockwaves across the world.

“There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” she said.

Wharfe told The Sun: “Part of Diana’s problem was that she naively believed that the relationship with Camilla would fade away.

“But let’s be honest, Camilla was there from day one.

“Camilla from my time, I went there in the mids 80s, was very much the discussion at the time.

“And Diana’s openness, she felt it necessary to give me the complete low down of the relationship.

“I questioned that at the time, but actually having listened to her, it made me understand Diana a lot better.
I was gobsmacked as Diana told me EVERYTHING about Charles’ affair, I kept her secrets for years
“And she naively believed that it would end.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Diana did love Charles. I mean she said that to me repeatedly.”

A year after divorcing Charles, Diana was tragically killed at the age of 36 in a shocking car crash in Paris.

Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, 42, and Ritz security chief Henri Paul, who was driving, were also killed in the 1997 crash.

The sole survivor of the crash was Dodi’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones.

Paul had been drinking before getting behind the wheel and was driving at a high speed when the car smashed into the 13th pillar of the Pont de l’Alma underpass.

Wharfe believes that had Diana not been killed, she and Charles wouldn’t have restarted their relationship at any point.

He says, however, that Diana would’ve eventually accepted Charles and Camilla being together.

He said: “From my own experience in life, you move on and you change, you mellow slightly, and you deal with situations in a much calmer way.

“And I’m sure Diana would have done that. She was very good at that.”

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The wreckage of the car Diana was travelling in before it crashed in 1997Credit: AFP

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Camilla and Charles were pictured as a couple at her sister’s party at the Ritz in 1999Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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The couple got engaged in 2005Credit: Reuters

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Charles and Camilla got married in 2005Credit: PA
He added: “Time, as everyone says, is a great healer.

“Diana was angry with the Prince of Wales, angry with her circumstances, angry with Camilla, angry with everybody.

“But you know you know, things heal. And as time progressed, she would have been in her 60s now, she would have accepted.”

Charles and Camilla’s relationship began back in 1971 when the pair were introduced by mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz.

Aged 23 they quickly became close friends talking for hours on the phone and spending as much time together as possible.

But their relationship never progressed after Charles’ great-uncle Lord Mountbatten warned she was not sufficiently aristocratic.

The pair went their separate ways – and after Charles returned from serving in the Royal Navy, he discovered she was engaged to Andrew Parker Bowles.

Diana was angry with the Prince of Wales, angry with her circumstances, angry with Camilla, angry with everybody.

Ken Wharfe

Camilla and Andrew tied the knot in 1973, while Charles married Diana eight years later on July 29, 1981.

But Camilla and Charles kept up contact, and Diana recounted her “tricky” relationship to Andrew Morton for the 1992 biography Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words.

She claimed that before her wedding, she found out Charles had a bracelet made with the initials “G” and “F” for Gladys and Fred – pet names Camilla and Charles had for each other.

Diana also found photos of Camilla in Charles’ diary on their honeymoon, as well as cufflinks with the initials “C” and “C” intertwined.

In 1994, Charles admitted to Jonathan Dimbleby in a TV documentary that while he had been faithful to Diana initially, he had only been so until his marriage had “irretrievably broken down”.

In 1989, Diana confronted Camilla about their affair at a party.

But it wasn’t until two years after Diana’s death that the couple stepped out publicly at a party for Camilla’s sister at The Ritz in London.

But following public outrage, the couple kept their romance on the lowdown with Camilla describing the backlash as “hell” and something she “wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy.”

Camilla even waited until 2000 to meet the late Queen and she and Charles didn’t share their first kiss in public until 2001.

In 2003 the couple moved into their current home of Clarence House and two years later the couple announced their engagement.

The pair tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, on April 9, 2005.

THE late Queen called a royal photographer a “horrible little man” after he took a snap of an “unstable” Princess Diana riding a horse, he has claimed.

Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, Jim Bennett, who has spent years snapping the Firm, recalled being present when Diana was having a riding lesson.

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Royal photographer Jim Bennett claims the late Queen told him off after he snapped this photo of Princess Diana ridingCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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The Queen took Diana for a horse ride on the main roads near Anmer Hall in NorfolkCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Jim told The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson: “Many years ago, back in the 80s, the Queen was trying to teach Diana how to ride along with some grooms.

“They were at Sandringham, and the Queen had taken her out, and for some unknown reason, she decided to take her on the main road across towards Anmer Hall, which is where William and Kate now live.

“But she was coming down that road, and they were riding along together.

“They saw us, and I expected them to sort of veer off, but obviously, Diana was very unstable on the horse.

“I mean, she was gripping like, ‘please, you know, let me get on with it. And let me get off.’”

Jim said as the Queen got close to him, he looked for somewhere to move back to, so he wouldn’t be in her way.

He added: “But they kept on coming, and we did the pictures.

“And literally, as they got level with us, she looked down at me, and she said, ‘You are one horrible little man.’”

Jim was taken off guard by her words, and added: “At that very moment, I felt, I wish there was a big hole I could disappear into, because just by her saying it and looking at you, she, just, there was something about her.
I was there when the Queen made her infamous ‘think carefully’ remark – she wanted the world to know
“She had an aura about her.”

Jim recalled how he next came face to face with the Queen again during one of the royal tours, and shared how he handled the moment.

He continued: “I forget where the tour was.

“Got a funny feeling it might have been in Jordan, and they used to travel on the royal yacht.

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The royal photographer claims the Queen called him a ‘horrible little man’Credit: Getty

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Jim claimed Diana was ‘very unstable on the horse’Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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Watch our video above to see royal photographer Jim Bennett on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive showCredit: THE SUN

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Jim Bennett has been snapping the royal family for decadesCredit: Supplied
At the beginning of the tour, they used to always invite the press to come and have a few bevvies with them on the royal yacht, in the ballroom.

“And this tour happened about three weeks after I took that picture, and I had to go on because you had no choice.

“And I got introduced to the Queen and the Duke, and the only thing I could do was look at my feet.

Inside the relationship of Princess Diana and the Queen

ANDREW Morton, author of 1992 biography, Diana: Her True Story: In Her Own Words, shed light on the bond between the two women.

He claimed the the relationship between Princess Diana and the late Queen was a polite but formal one, “governed by the fact that she was married to her older son and a future Monarch.”

He added: “In the early days, Diana was quite simply terrified of her mother-in-law.

“She kept the formal obsequies—dropping a deep curtsy each time they met—but otherwise kept her distance.”

However, Andrew wrote that Diana was supported by the monarch and suggested “perhaps a rather unlikely ally at the palace in the Queen whose understanding and helpful attitude did much to encourage Diana to soldier on.”

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote in 2001 while the monarch “never directly addressed the question of his marriage, but by nod and nuance, she made it clear she ap­proved of Diana.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eye, and nor did she.

“When that piece had been done, you all had to join a group, and she would come around and chat to the various groups of photographers.

“But I just made sure I moved from group to group, and never, ever got involved.

“I was that frightened.”

The royal photographer also claimed he was there when the Queen made her infamous “think carefully” comment ahead of the 2014 Scottish referendum.

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Jim was there when the Queen said she hoped people would ‘think very carefully’ ahead of the Scottish referendum in 2014

Prenetics, a Hong Kong-based, NASDAQ-listed health sciences company, has announced that former international footballer,

entrepreneur and philanthropist David Beckham has become a strategic investor in the business.

Prenetics said in a statement on Thursday that Prenetics and Beckham will become co-founding partners of a new health and wellness brand,

IM8, which will focus on cutting-edge consumer health products, with details to be announced at a later date.

“Throughout my life and career, I’ve been fortunate to have access to the best medical professionals,

nutrition experts and fitness coaches. Their guidance has been crucial to my health and well-being,

“That’s why I am excited to be working with Prenetics – a company that is dedicated to innovative,

world-leading scientific advancements in health – as a co-founding partner and ambassador for IM8,” Beckham said.

Danny Yeung, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Prenetics, said that this partnership with Beckham marks a transformative era for Prenetics in global health innovation and wellness.

“Beckham epitomizes the values of discipline, teamwork and health, aligning perfectly with Prenetics’ core principles. Working closely with Beckham these past months, I’ve been consistently inspired by his vision for accessible health for all,

“His passion and commitment are truly extraordinary. With IM8, we have a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the consumer health and wellness industry,” he added.

It is noted that Beckham has also spent time with Prenetics shareholder, Professor Dennis Lo, during which he has been impressed to learn about Professor Lo’s pioneering discovery of non-invasive prenatal testing in 1997 and current focus on early cancer detection.

These conversations have highlighted the significant potential of Prenetics’ innovations to impact global health and longevity.

Prenetics is a firm dedicated to advancing consumer and clinical health.

Its consumer initiative is led by IM8, a new health and wellness brand.

The firm’s clinical division is led by Insighta, a $200 million joint venture with renowned scientist Prof. Dennis Lo, focused on multi-cancer early detection technologies.

This is followed by ACT Genomics, which has achieved U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors, and CircleDNA, which uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) to offer comprehensive deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests.

Beckham is one of England’s most successful footballers.

With a career spanning 20 years, he has played with some of the most successful clubs in the world, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, as well as the England team, which he captained for six years.

He was the first English player to have won league titles in four countries: England, Spain, the United States and France.

After retiring from playing in 2013, he established himself as a successful entrepreneur, working with many of the world’s leading brands including adidas, Stella Artois, Tudor, EA, and Nespresso.

In 2018, he fulfilled a life-long ambition to be an owner of a football club when his group was awarded the Major League Soccer Franchise for the city of Miami.

Inter Miami CF was officially announced in September 2018 with Beckham as President of the Club.

In 2019, he founded his own content studio, Studio 99. The studio operates both editorial and commercial production, and specializes in developing and producing premium documentary features, series and formats for global platforms and networks, including Netflix and Disney+.

In February 2022 Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), a unified platform that integrates merger and acquisition (M&A), brand strategy, creativity and digital innovation, announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with Beckham to co-own and manage Beckham’s global brand.

In connection with the partnership, Beckham became a shareholder in Authentic.

He joined a roster of Authentic’s growing entertainment portfolio that includes some of the world’s most celebrated athletes and iconic sports brands such as Shaquille O’Neal, Sports Illustrated, and Muhammad Ali.

Vows aren’t the only thing tying Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham together.

On Saturday, Nicola, 29, shared a post on her Instagram Story

that showed off her husband’s latest tattoo — a love note she wrote to the oldest son of David and Victoria Beckham before the two got married nearly two years ago.

“My forever boy. Read this anytime you feel anxious,” the note, which is written in a cursive-like font below Brooklyn’s neck, begins.

“I want you to know how deeply loved you are. You have the kindest heart I’ve ever met and hope I never go a day without your love.”

“I think you are so incredible. Just know we can get through it all together if you breathe slow and trust.

I love you beyond,” the note continues, before Nicola signs it: “Love always, your future wifey.”

Related: Nicola Peltz Says She ‘Loves’ That Husband Brooklyn Beckham ‘Really Wants to Be a Dad’

Brooklyn’s latest tattoo in honor of his wife is just the latest in a slew of romantic gestures the couple frequently shares.

Earlier this year, at the Los Angeles premiere of Lola, the actress’ directorial debut, Nicola was joined by much of the Beckham family, including Brooklyn’s younger sister, Harper Seven, and brother Cruz,

During the event she gushed to PEOPLE of Harper, 12: “If I could create the perfect dream little sister, it’s her.”

“I’m so blessed I get to have her as my little sister in my life,” she added.

Nicola also raved about her mother-in-law, Victoria, 49, who was also in attendance at the premiere — and had dressed Nicola for the evening.

“She is a genius. I am so honored to be able to wear this tonight. I feel so, like, business but sexy, and she’s a genius,” she told PEOPLE. “How lucky am I that my mother-in-law is Victoria Beckham where I get to go to her for style advice.”

For the couple, bonding with each other’s families is of the utmost importance.

“Family is everything to me, and I mean that with my whole heart. I’m so close to mine and Brooklyn’s family and I think there’s no better feeling than knowing you have a strong support system,” Nicola recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s such a blessing, and I never take it for granted.”

As for Cruz and Victoria’s presence at the premiere, she added:  “For Victoria to fly out and for Cruz to be there and support me, it means so much to me. I was talking to everyone all night and I didn’t even sit down once.”

Though she joked that her husband “ended up on the chopping block” and his cameo was cut from Lola because he kept saying his line “in a British accent and he was staring directly into the camera,” Nicola also made sure to give Brooklyn a shoutout for all his support during the six-year journey of making the film.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without him because he was such a massive support to me every day on set which I’m so appreciative of,” she told THR.

ROYAL fans will know that we often see Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton paying tribute to Princess Diana by wearing her iconic jewellery.

However, neither of the two stylish royal women have ever worn their late mother-in-law’s Spencer Tiara – which she wore on her wedding day – and there is a poignant reason why.

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Diana wore the Spencer Tiara on her wedding day to Prince CharlesCredit: Getty

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The iconic headpiece is part of the Spencer family’s private collectionCredit: Getty – Contributor
Before her death, Diana wrote a “letter of wishes”, which explained what she would like to happen to her glittering jewellery collection in the future.

It stated: “I would like you to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.

“I leave the exact division of the jewellery to your discretion.”

However, the glittery Spencer Tiara – estimated to be worth around £400,000 – remains in the Spencer family.

Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller previously told Marie Claire: “While she was Princess of Wales, Diana often borrowed the tiara from her father and her brother [Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer], who still owns it now.

“Eventually, it will be passed along with the rest of the family estate to Earl Spencer’s son, Viscount Althorp.”

Although the 9th Earl Spencer could loan it to Princess Kate or Meghan, it would be at his discretion.

Both Meghan and Kate wore royal tiaras for their wedding days.

According to the jewellery professional, the Spencer Tiara – which has been in the Spencer family for nearly a century – was not considered as it’s not a royal tiara.

It was, however, worn by both of Diana’s sisters, Jane and Sarah, at their weddings, and was also worn by Celia McCorquodale, Princess Diana‘s niece, at her 2018 wedding.
I know what Kate is really like behind closed doors and what King Charles thinks of her – she’s had a massive realisation
Meghan and Kate borrowed headpieces from Queen Elizabeth’s collection for their big days.

The Duchess of Sussex wore the Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau, made in 1932, but had initially wanted a tiara that featured emeralds, according to royal sources.

Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales opted for the Cartier Halo Tiara for her 2011 wedding.

The Cartier Halo tiara was first commissioned by George VI in 1936, three weeks before he ascended the throne, who gave it to the Queen Mary.

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The Princess of Wales opted for the Cartier Halo Tiara for her 2011 weddingCredit: AFP

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The Duchess of Sussex wore the Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau, made in 1932Credit: AFP
It was then gifted to Queen Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday and inherited by Princess Anne, who has worn it several times in its history.

The elaborate headpiece features over 1000 diamonds – 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette.

Meghan has only worn a tiara on her wedding day, but we have seen Kate wear at least four different tiaras, including the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara.

While Kate and Meghan are unlikely to wear the Spencer Tiara, they do honour Princess Diana in a number of ways. 

Everyone looked straight for the ring when Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles announced their engagement back in February 1981, and her 12-carat oval sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds from British jeweller Garrard – thought to be bought for £28,500 – didn’t disappoint.

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Prince Charles & Princess Diana stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony at St. Paul’s CathedralCredit: Getty – Contributor
The rock made another appearance in 2010, when Prince William showed his love for both his mum and new fiancée, Kate, by popping the question with the very same ring during a romantic trip to Kenya that October.

Meanwhile in 2017, Prince Harry popped the question to Meghan Markle and sealed the deal with a breathtaking engagement ring that included two of Princess Diana’s diamonds.

The Duke of Sussex had designed the breathtaking sparkler himself.

Kate is known as being one of the most fashionable women in Britain, but often takes style inspiration from her late mother-in-law.

Last year, Kate wowed onlookers at Royal Ascot as she arrived in a stunning polka dot dress that was remarkably similar to one worn by Diana.