Diana inquest gets underway
The inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her lover Dodi Fayed finally got under way today.
Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker started proceedings in front of a mass of legal teams and media at the High Court in London.
Diana, 36, and 42-year-old Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed, nicknamed Dodi, were killed with their driver, Henri Paul, in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
Their Mercedes smashed into a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma underpass after leaving the Ritz Hotel owned by Dodi’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, who was among those present today.
Speaking as he arrived at the High Court in London ready for the long-awaited case, Mr al Fayed described himself as a “father who lost his son”.
He said: “I’m hoping for justice, I’m a father who lost his son.
“I have been fighting for 10 years, at last I want to have justice.”
The Harrods owner, who is being represented by barrister Michael Mansfield QC at the inquest, claims the Princess was pregnant with Dodi’s child and that the couple were murdered in a plot by MI6 and the Duke of Edinburgh.
He said: “I’m certain of what happened, I know they have been murdered.”
The inquest, set to last up to six months, follows French and British investigations which found that Mr Paul had been drinking and was driving too fast.
Twenty-five potential jurors were selected last week after being probed on whether they had connections to the Royal Family, Mr al Fayed and the Secret Service.
Today a final panel of 11 were due to be selected by ballot ahead of an opening statement by the coroner.
