That tragic night, what happened in the last hours of Diana’s life Shihab Uddin Shihab Uddin

On a bright afternoon on August 30, 1997, Princess Diana and her partner Dodi Al Fayed boarded a private jet at Le Bourget Airport in Paris after a week-long vacation in the Mediterranean. The intention was to spend some time alone in Paris. 

But as soon as she stepped foot at the airport, the violence of the photojournalists or 'paparazzi' began. A group of camera-hunters, riding motorcycles, surrounded Diana with cameras in hand. 

10:00 PM — That quiet moment at the Ritz Hotel 

To avoid the crowds outside, Diana and Dodi stayed at the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris, owned by Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed. They initially planned to have dinner at a French restaurant, but to avoid the paparazzi, they arranged for the meal to be brought to the Ritz's regal Imperial Suite. 

According to witnesses, the atmosphere inside the suite was quite calm. Diana ordered a starter of mushrooms and asparagus and a sea bream. But outside, dozens of photographers were still waiting, cameras in hand. 

After dinner, Dodi decided that instead of leaving the hotel through the front door like at night, they would leave through the back door and go straight to Dodi's own apartment on the Champs-Élysées. 

A dummy car was left at the main entrance of the hotel to mislead the journalists. At 12:20 a.m., Diana and Dodi entered a black Mercedes-Benz S280 through the 'Rue Cambon' door at the back of the Ritz Hotel. The driver was the hotel's security manager, Henri Paul, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was at his side. Diana and Dodi sat side by side in the back seat. 

12:23 PM — That cursed moment in the Pont de la Alma tunnel

As soon as the car started moving, the paparazzi realized the real news! They chased the Mercedes with motorcycles and some small cars. The black Mercedes ran along the banks of the Seine River, past the glittering Eiffel Tower. 

Driver Henri Paul sped up the car to avoid journalists trying to take pictures. At 12:23 a.m., the car entered the Pont de la Alma underpass tunnel. The tunnel's posted speed limit was 50 kilometers, but the Mercedes was going almost double that—around 105 kilometers per hour. 

Suddenly, the driver, Anri Paul, lost control. First, the car lightly brushed a white 'Fiat Uno' and then, losing control, went straight and hit the concrete pier number 13 of the tunnel! The entire tunnel shook with a loud sound like a bomb. 

The front of the Mercedes was mangled at the scene of the accident. The driver's body was pinned against the steering wheel, causing the car's horn to continuously sound. 

The driver, Henri Paul, and Dodi Al Fayed, died instantly. Only bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived, but was seriously injured. Diana was trapped in the back seat, seriously injured. 

The first to reach the car in that stunned moment were not rescue workers—they were paparazzi photographers. Instead of rescuing, some journalists started flashing their cameras to take pictures of the injured Diana. After a while, local police and passersby arrived to inform the doctors and stop them from taking pictures. 

Rescuers cut Diana out of the car in critical condition and quickly took her to the hospital. She was taken to the 'Piti-Salpetriere' hospital at 2:06 am. 

Doctors found that she had suffered massive internal bleeding and severe damage to her heart. Surgeons and emergency room doctors tried for two hours to revive her heart. But all efforts failed and Princess Diana was pronounced dead at 4 am on Sunday, August 31. A life loved by millions of people around the world was extinguished at the age of just 36. 

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Reuters and Associated Press (AP).