Coroner rules out Duke’s involvement in Diana crash

The coroner in the long-running inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her friend Dodi Fayed told the jury today that there is no evidence that Prince Philip, the Secret Intelligence Service or any other government agency had anything to do with their deaths in the 1997 Paris car crash.

Speaking after six months of evidence, he said many of Mohamed Fayed's theories about the crash were "so demonstrably without foundation" that even his lawyer was no longer pursuing them.

Lord Justice Scott Baker told jurors they had the option of deciding that Diana and Dodi died as the result of an accident, or as the result of gross negligence by the paparazzi following their car, or by the actions of the chauffeur, Henri Paul. But it was not open to them to find that the Duke of Edinburgh or anyone else had staged the Paris crash. The judge said of Fayed's ideas: "They are not being pursued because there is not a shred of evidence to support them."

More than 250 witnesses have given evidence at the High Court. A late attempt by Fayed to force the coroner to summon Prince Philip to testify, and for written questions to be put to the Queen, was summarily rejected by a higher court.

As the inquest progressed, it was noticeable that Fayed's lawyers were beginning to distance themselves from some of his theories and remarks.
Michael Mansfield QC avoided accusing Prince Philip or of claiming that MI6 had assassinated the couple. He did, however, suggest that rogue agents might have been involved.

The judge concluded his remarks to the jury by saying: "You will have been reassured to have heard that Mohamed Fayed told you on oath that he will accept your verdict; no doubt the other interested persons will do likewise."