Princess Diana secret files robbery plot fueled by conspiracy theorists

In 2007, French authorities claimed the entire file had been ‘lost’ just weeks before the US$17 million British investigation into Diana’s death began – an investigation that ultimately concluded that the tragic princess and her lover Dodi had been unlawfully killed as a result of grossly negligent driving by paparazzi and driver Henri Paul, who also died in the crash. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones barely survived but suffered catastrophic injuries.

Sources tell us that the French dossier on the horror, compiled by 30 police officers, contains thousands of pages of evidence, as well as around 200 witness statements, toxicology reports for Paul, never-before-seen photos of the crash scene and interviews from one of the largest legal investigations in modern French history. Lawyer Jean-Louis Pelletier, who represented paparazzo Fabrice Chassery, said in 2007 when he sought access to the file he was told it had disappeared.

He claimed: “When I went to court to ask for the files, I was told they were not there. I know files are lost occasionally, but given the size and importance of this particular file, it is extraordinary.”

Partial photocopies were later provided to Lord Stevens, who led the British inquiry into Diana’s death, but the original documents – the only version admissible in future legal proceedings – have remained sealed.

In 2006, French authorities also revealed that photos showing Diana and Dodi at the scene of the accident had disappeared.

A British lawyer said: “It is hard to believe that such crucial evidence could be lost just weeks before the inquest.”