I think it is right that a jury should sit at an inquest into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed. While I do not subscribe to any conspiracy 
theories on what I have heard so far, I can understand why, as a father, Mohamed al Fayed wants the full facts to be heard openly and decided by a jury made up of ordinary people. I am pleased for him that he won his appeal today allowing this to happen.
I do not see how it can be perceived as fair to all concerned if only one person, however highly accomplished and distinguished Baroness Butler-Sloss is, can be expected to decide the outcome of those tragic deaths considering who it involves.
She has expressed concerns about how easy it would be to find a jury who did not have already strong views on the cause of the fatal crash and who would have had the opportunity to read the newspapers or even special reports, as well as watch television programmes about the deaths almost 10 years ago.
That is the case with many high profile trials too and juries are still used. At the end of the day, it will be decided on the evidence that is presented. The main difficulty could well be how clear the witnesses’ memories are after all this time. In my opinion, juries are essential in all but highly complicated financial cases.
It was also the right decision not to use members of the royal household on the jury, justice needs to be seen to be done and to be unbiased.
Ah I don`t do Di I `m afraid.
Sorry
Couldn’t his Tonyness have stopped this expensive nonsense ? Or is it just too good for the Republicanist cause ?
Assassination by car crash – our country’s gone doo-lally.
It’s not even as though Al-fayed is contributing through his taxes to pay for this nonsense!
He’s a tax exile based in Switzerland as I understand!
After nearly ten years, it’s about time this matter was put to rest. It never will, as Fayed will always protest if it doesn’t unmask some secret conspiracy.
I have to say that the whole Diana thing just annoys me. She died a DECADE ago! Why can’t they just let it go?! Haven’t we already had at least two inquests already? Surely if they couldn’t uncover anything suspicious, then this one won’t either!
I agree with all your points, but at the end of the day, does it really matter? Maybe some result from this ongoing saga will give relief to some. I don’t know.
I very much like your blog, by the way, and am happy I found it and you found mine.
Ian
Thank you Ian, the law has to take its course and 10 years is far too late in the day. Let’s hope the jury’s decision will be final, that there won’t be any further appeals on points of law.
very much like your blog, by the way
Me to
I honestly just didn’t understand the outpouring of grief when she died. Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own country.
After nearly ten years, it’s about time this matter was put to rest. It never will, as Fayed will always protest if it doesn’t unmask some secret conspiracy.
Jean-Luc Picard misses the point here that it never will because there are anomalies which have been swept under the carpet and inquiries constructed to play this down.
It’s simple reality. Until they discuss the personnel in that room forty minutes after the ‘accident’, until they look at the whole range of anomalous behaviour surrounding the before and after, it will never die down.
But wouldn’t a private audience with Mr Blair helped to have allayed Mr al Fayed’s understandable suspicions ? Or had this already happened and I’ve missed it ? Why has this ugly cloud been allowed to shadow the Royals for so long ?
Or were Nu Labour happy with the situation ?
NB
I have used a fairly broad definition by way of ‘allaying Mr Fayed’s concerns’.
And just why do I feel so nervous about defending the honour of senior Royals ?
I’m with those who say “Let it rest”.
Am I the only person who sympathises with Princess Diana, being married to a man who loved another woman and, by all accounts, having unsypmathetic in-laws. I don’t blame her for letting her hair down, for wanting to be appreciated as a woman. Though her judgement may have been flawed in her choice of partners, she is certainly not unique in that. We are all flawed as human beings.
I suspect that 10 years later it will be very difficult to ever find out what ever really happened…. Michelle
You understand how he feels “as a father” or “as the employer of the person responsible for the safe transport of Dodi and Diana”?
No you’re not the only person Ellee. At great cost to my ‘laddishness’ I expressed exactly this sentiment on The Hitch.
The Royal family dealt with Diana terribly and incompetently.
What I see here is Nu Labour stand-offishness, they expoited her in life and by their reticence at the outrageous and scurrilous remarks by Mr al Fayed they exploit her in death.
A certain lady at Number 10 perhaps ? Who forgets how to conceal a yawn or how to curtsey before the Queen ???
Michelle, I agree with you about the memory recall on this after almost 10 years.
Chris, If only they had worn seat belts….
Kevin, “lads” can empathise too. Diana was obviously a loose canon as far as the royal family was concerned who could not conceal her desperate unhappiness from the public.
Apparently we can’t empathise Ellee. That’s why I don’t really give a toss about being a lad.
Kevin, You are obviously the exception.
I say “let it rest”.The ones I feel sorry for are William and Harry, for it to be dragged over and over. Just let it go.
As “inlaws” yes they dealt with somethings in a bad way. but they are just people at the end of the day, Queen or not. And we all deal with things in a different way.
Not at all Ellee. There are many of us, but I’m one of the few with the guts to say I don’t like football blah-de-blah. Back to topic please.
Mr al Fayed is represented by none other than Michael Mansfield QC who is listed under wickipeadia as “a bicycle riding socialist” and “made his name defending unpopular clients” I’ve seen him in operation in the Old Bailey close up. Formidable, anti u ‘n’ me.
Those of you here saying “Oh let it be ..” there is an agenda here folks – heads-up please.
I do like football, and I do not like lady Di.I did not like her because she was stupid arrogant and hugely over praised.
We are not to know whose fault it was that he marriage went wrong and I make absolutely no assumptions. I entirely echo what David Anthony said
I honestly just didn’t understand the outpouring of grief when she died. Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own country.
At that time it felt as if you were quite alone in being mystified.
She was just a girl, Newmania – not a woman like Ellee or Ms Smack.
Interesting that just as Blair’s reputation is about to be sullied by the Yates investigation the left-wing establishment wants to drag two major Royals into the dock to sully their reputations.
Quite telling too that Cameron is not in the firing line for his drugs indiscretions.
This is because the Conservatives are now part of the left-wing status quo and are no threat.
I am shocked at how principled politicians seem to be distracted by business lunches, Westminster ‘characters’ and intrigue and are diverted from the big issues so easily.
I’m in the U.S., so I feel somewhat removed from the whole royal thing. Diana was a beguiling creature in her way and I think her vulnerability and emotional immaturity contributed deeply to that. How any woman married to a royal could anticipate fidelity and emotional connection seems rather unreasonable to me. I have read a great deal of English history and these are not hallmarks of regal matrimony. Add to that that she married THE PRINCE and thought she had found a husband. Even as common folk there marriage would likely have been a disaster since they both came with emotional baggage and had little in common. He made a business arrangement and she thought she had a romance. Despite the disaster of the marriage, she could have gone on to live a long and perhaps happy life if she had not made two basic mistakes that evening. She got in a car with a drunk at the wheel and she didn’t wear a seat belt.
It is astounding the amount of people who will toe the official line on this matter. Just who is afraid of what may come to light? Having had some experience with officialdom, the media and the falsehoods they project to the masses I find it astounding that so many are prepared to swallow what is served up to them.
Regarding the recent enquiry into the death of Dodi and Di, I said to a friend at the time that the outcome had already been decided by “those upstairs” and that they would find some sort of evidence that the driver was intoxicated, neatly shifting the blame away from any other person or organisation. I must remind everybody that this is a well known ploy, to find a “patsy” to load the blame on. And even better if that “patsy” is dead and cannot answer back.
May I take this opportunity to remind everybody that the driver in question was a professional who was chosen for his ability and experience. He was NOT a sixteen year old joyrider. Not in my opinion the the sort of person to cause an accident by a simple mistake….
“Having had some experience with officialdom …”
Please elaborate, Mr Knee. As you seem to wish to ally yourself with accusations that the Duke of Edinburgh is implicated with murder we ought to know exactly your ‘experience’.