Background ¦ Your reaction

The Background:

Drunken chauffeur Henri Paul has been blamed in the official report into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and her companion Dodi Fayed.

French judge Herve Stephan ended a two-year investigation by clearing the nine press photographers who had been chasing Diana before the accident in a Paris underpass.

Judge Stephan said Mr Paul was inebriated and under the influence of anti-depressants, and could not control the speeding Mercedes.

It was right to investigate the photographers, who had chased the car on motorbikes, but the probe "did not formally find a definite link between the accident and those under investigation".

And that, said Diana's brother Earl Spencer, should be the end of the matter, adding he "respected the legal conclusions that had been reached".

But Dodi Fayed's father Mohamed al-Fayed, who blames the photographers, has insisted he will launch an appeal - citing "a great many unanswered questions" and many "key witnesses" yet to be interviewed.

An appeal could take several more months to complete, but Mr al-Fayed's spokesman insisted he had the "resources and the will" to find out the truth.

What do you think?

Is it time to accept the findings of France's most detailed road accident investigation and close the case? Or is Mr al-Fayed right to continue his campaign? Tell us now.

Background ¦ Your reaction

Your Reaction:

How can anybody ever accept the fact that the 'paparazzi' were harassing Princess Diana? How can anybody say that they did not contribute to the accident? How can anybody imagine that the driver of the car would have been allowed to drive by her bodyguard if he had been truly drunk? This whole thing stinks. The investigation stinks. The manner in which it was handled stinks. And, the absurd attempt to close the case stinks. The facts are clear. Princess Diana was a popular public figure. All people need these folks. We have our 'Kennedys', Monaco had Princess Grace. And, England had Princess Diana. These people add a dimension to our lives that goes beyond some dressed up political idiot who makes a bunch of empty promises about what he/she will do if they are elected. People need more than that. So, to raise questions about the tragedy of Diana is perfectly normal and in order. It will always be an unsolved mystery. Make no mistake about it.
Dave Adams, USA

Let her memory rest in peace
Susie Burdge, UK

Princess Diana died, because that was her day we will all die one day, that was her destiny, like we all have the same destiny - DEATH. It was like Romeo and Juliet, it might be a stupid opinion but at least they are in peace now.
Carla Toste, Portugal

We must never forget her. She was a saint and a true leader of men and women. Those evil people who opposed her in life are now opposing her in death. What happened to all the plans about naming London airport after her? She must be remembered - we must think of her children.
Algy, Great Britain

There was someone responsible for the death of Princess Diana. It was Henri Paul. But could it been someone else's responsibility who assigned Henri Paul to drive the car that early morning? Somebody has to find out, to get at the root of the problem. Mohamad Fayed will do his best in an investigation. We will eventually find out who and what was responsible for that tragic accident on 31 August 1997.
Gary, USA

I don't believe anymore in the press. Anybody as the right to interfere in the private live of any public person. How can we stand to defend the human rights if we don't defend the right to the privacy?
Diogo Firmino, Portugal

For goodness sakes, let the woman rest in peace. It was a tragic accident - that's all!!
Leah, UK

Enough Is Enough. Whatever she was or whatever the circumstances of her death were, this matter should be put to REST. AND GET ON WITH YOUR LIVES. Life does not stop at one individual's Death. Look around you and through history, life did not stop with the death of many famous people.
Mohammad Yousef, USA

The same fools and boot lickers who elevated Diana to the level of a fairy tale princess can't accept that she died in the same way thousands of so-called ordinary people die every year. A drunk at the wheel. The arrogance of high speed. Not wearing a seat belt.
Gordon, Scotland

This should be the end of it. Much like the JFK conspiracy, we will never know the truth. Yes, her death was partially the fault of those in the car, but they were doing their best, in the circumstances, to get away from their pursuers - paparazzi or otherwise. But as in most cases where death is a sad factor, two years on, we should be thinking of those left behind rather than those who died. Our two Princes, yes, but also Mr Al Fayed should be allowed to pursue the matter of his sons death if it helps him grieve - HE LOST HIS SON.
R White, UK

Why is it unbelievable that somebody like Diana dies by a simple car accident? It seems to me somebody is trying to keep the whole story up to make more and more money out of her. I never really liked Diana for several reasons. But I am really sorry for her, because she has been used by so many people. And they still do it today.
Desiree McCourt,

The entire issue is now boring. Let move on to issues that count
Mark, Ireland

Who cares? Princess Anne does charity work as does the duchess of Kent and other royals. Unlike Di they do this without the glare of publicity. Conspiracy? She was killed in France with a French driver so blame the French. Or she was dating an Arab so blame the Muslim League....Who cares?
Martin Adams, UK

End this madness! A pretty, but manipulative woman died in a drunk-driving accident. I feel more sorry for the driver of the Fiat Uno, who presumably came within an inch of losing his/her life that night.
Richard, Holland

The truth is yet to come!
Jorge, Portugal

Surely, the only people that benefit from more news about the princess are the media tycoons who would be only too happy to scrape up another theory or two, to keep their papers selling. Does it make any difference to anyone whether someone else was involved in that car crash? Get on with your life, remember her or not as you see fit, and stop pandering to a manipulative media, like you did when she was alive!!
Chris, India

How can people suggest that the paparazzi killed her? Did Diana think her life was in danger thus requiring her to be driven at such dangerous speeds. No, she was running from the press because they might expose her little getaway with a playboy. Tragic as death is, I am sick of hearing about her. Thousands die in Turkey but none of them were attractive enough to generate any significant media time.
Robert Zeps, USA but British

No, we should use Diana's success with charities to help other charities today. She always used her own fame to make a difference, may be we should do the same.
Matt Barnard, England

It was murder. Forget the Uno. Where is the motorcycle? Not mentioned at all in the report so it is a whitewash. 30 years from now it will be accepted that the Establishment had an interest in getting rid of Diana, but it will be like Kennedy, too late.
N.A.B., England

It is definitely time to let Diana rest in peace and for the speculation about her death to end. Her sons need to get on with life and remember their mother in private.
Maria Carney, New Zealand

I haven't had the chance to believe or not believe all the theories. What some of us are waiting to see and hear is a public court system where all the details are placed for everyone to see. I do not believe that all the blame should be placed on the driver who is now dead and therefore cannot disprove all the allegations against him. Diana's death cannot just be treated as if she were an ordinary chicken. We shall continue to doubt unless all the cards are placed on the table. I am one of them. We cannot sit down and gloss through the death of Princess Diana as if she were a pauper or less a fly. Nothing should be covered up. The world has its doubts and do not forget about this.
Henry Williams, Sierra Leone now in Canada

I hope this will end as it serves no good to any one now.
Homer Spencer, USA

WOW! The driver of the car was responsible! It must've taken a lot of work to discover that! How much money were investigators paid to come out with THAT conclusion!? I could've told you that the day it happened - simply because the driver was driving!
Wake up and realise that Diana is gone. Let it lie! To those who say remember her for her work, I do - she worked hard on the piste to develop her skiing skills at the expense of the taxpayers, and she worked hard to be photographed with children from other countries.
Paul Charters, England

There are no such things as accidents. Diana died because she was stupid and selfish. Too stupid to put on her seat-belt, too selfish to care she hadn't.
Chris Colenso-Dunne, Australia

Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh, please, let it be "Yes". I can't take it no mo'.
Paul Forman, Canada

Being the "most hunted woman" on earth", let the hunting end. If the tragic accident has been a result of conspiracy, history will only prove. Let's hope the report is credible.
Poggo, South Sudan

What a cover up! They murdered JFK and no-one was ever found. Do we really think that we will get to the bottom of this. This goes all the way to the top - how could the future King of England have a half-muslim brother??? That's the only reason she is dead.
David Warburton, UK

At the end of the day Diana was a human being and any human being has the right to justice for any wrongful death. There are still a lot of questions, but the French won't do any more, so everyone should let it be. People should stop treating her as a "saint" or as "the jet-setting, spoilt Princess" and see her for what she was - a normal woman who married a privileged cad, had two lovely sons and died a tragic death.
D Green, England

Yes , this should be the end . We all know what happened and there is no need for further investigation despite what Mr Fayed thinks.
Olly Nanist, UK

Want makes me distrust the French Judge's Report is the smear campaign underway, orchestrated by the Royal family. This just illustrates to me the conditions Diana was living under and why she could not exist inside the Royal Family Circle, and still retain any self-esteem and mental sanity. I feel if they would continue their abuse of Diana even after her death.
T. Archie, USA

Two people need finding. The driver of the car who they hit, and the bike that apparently was along side the car and hassling them, which apparently according to eye witness, drove straight past the crash scene.
Both people where part of the accident. The car driver may fear punishment, and may well have been innocent, but the bike rider was certainly guilty.
Paul, UK

Who cares?
Claire, UK

Are those who say "rest in peace" just sick of the whole affair? Or do they genuinely believe that Henri Paul is to blame? If the truth has not been found then Diana can not rest in peace.
Wendy, Scotland

It's time to put the past behind us. Diana, the princess of Wales, died not from shot-wound, but from a motor accident with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. The thrill of Diana is gone, and we are free from the spell!
Tajudeen Isiaka, Nigeria

She died two years ago, one day before Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In the newspaper, the reports of Mother Teresa's death were only on a small column on the 4th or 5th page. Who did more for the poor and needy?
Laurence Smith, UK

Regardless of social status, enough tax payers money has been spent on this woman already... Give it a rest!
Richard Brooks, UK

Will the conspiracy theorists please get a life? No amount of theorising can hide the fact that had Diana worn her seat belt and if the pillars in the tunnel had armco barriers fitted then she would probably have survived the crash - regardless of the actions of the press and the driver.
Jack Hunt, UK

Please let Diana rest in peace, it's time to let go. The media is having a hard time letting go, because no Diana means no big sales. Let her sons grow up with the good memories they have and not let them drown in this desperate need to find the "Truth". Does it really matter - Diana dead = end of story. And as for Mohammed al Fayed. Let go you are suffering from delusions of Grandeur, forget it and let your son rest in peace, you will probably get more respect by doing that.
Cathy, Australia.

Enough is enough! Let Princess Diana rest in peace; let her find the peace in death she could not find in life. Mohammad al-Fayad is a grieving father for his son just as the world still mourns the loss of a beautiful but tormented Princess Diana. But to try to blame Dodi and Diana's deaths on a conspiracy rather than a drunken driver is ludicrous. Let it END ... NOW. Just because Mohammad al-Fayad has money doesn't mean he should waste it on pointless investigation. It was one of HIS employees who killed Mr. al-Fayad's son and Princess Diana
Rosemary E. Lloyd, USA

Let's see some action against the journalists. If you and I failed to help passengers when at the scene of an accident, I am sure that we would be reprimanded for not giving assistance, plus cause and effect, if they were chasing would the accident have happened?
Philip, UK

There are still unanswered questions. What was the role of the white Fiat that supposedly 'nudged' the car according to the report. Why was the car travelling at such speed when the photographers were way behind? Why did the driver who had allegedly been drinking look completely sober on the video footage. There are still too many unanswered questions which need to be investigated and the public need to know the truth about this 'accident'.
Barry Tregear, England

Why has it taken two years to come to a conclusion that could have been reached in two months? Because this whole thing stinks of a high level cover-up. If the chauffeur had drunk that amount of alcohol and taken that amount of anti-depressants (which he wasn't taking normally anyway), then he wouldn't have been able to stand, let alone drive a car. And why did he pass a strict pilot's medical only two days before the crash. As he is dead he is an ideal scapegoat. Perhaps it is time for the media to atone for their actions by digging and digging until the truth comes out.
Alan Bodger, UK

Diana's death was a great tragedy and obviously some investigation should be taken to discover the reason for her death. Now that that has been done we must leave this matter as it has been two years. Nothing can bring her back now and her sons need to move on and they need all the public's help and support. Clearly, dwelling over the past will not help. What happened was fate.
Rohun Gupta, UK

I wish it was the end, but no one has yet explained the high carbon monoxide levels in Henri Paul's blood. What were the 'cm' levels in the blood of the others. If they all had high levels then I think there are some very important questions to ask.
Jan Fellstrom, UK

Let her rest in peace.
Suzanne Dubeau, Canada

There are more important things going on in the world.
David Sims, UK

I am utterly disgusted with some of the comments on this site concerning Diana, Princess of Wales. This woman did more for charitable causes, and creating awareness of illnesses such as aids, leprosy, mental health and eating disorders, than anybody else in history. Who else could have brought to the world's attention the issue of landmines, in the way that she did? Nobody! Her magnetism, kindness, beauty and humanity captured the public's attention and affections. Where is a memorial to this woman's life? The British Government should be ashamed that there is not a lasting memorial to this great woman. When our family visits the UK, we would like to have a memorial that we could visit, lay some flowers and quietly remember this woman of the Millennium.
P D Minnis, Australia

No, I don't believe it should rest. The truth should come out. I believe there was some sort of conspiracy to end Diana's life. The British Government just couldn't have her marry a foreigner, now could they?
N. Shaw, Canada

The comments made by Cathy Cooper that Diana was a woman who 'did a bit for charity and had nice legs' show how completely ignorant and out of touch some people are. Whether icons alive or dead are a 'good thing' or not is irrelevant here, the fact is that we have them, we create them and we perpetuate their myth.
Diana was not just a woman who did a bit for charity. She was someone who spent as much of her sad life as possible bringing happiness to millions and helping highlight some of the terrible injustices the majority of our planet's population suffers at the hands of the few. Was that a bad thing? I don't think so. My life is obviously a fuller one than those such as Ms Cooper if such a small thing as the public mourning of a much loved figure is so irritating to her.
Andrew Lennox, UK

There has been enough mythology around a woman's life that was squandered for nothing. I think that she has been over-rated, glorified and propped up to a larger than life heroine without justification. Let the her rest in peace. This should certainly be the end. The French are right. They always have a sense of proportion in what they do. The British tend to leach on to many things and not let go.
Ashebir Nequaatibeb, Ethiopia

This should be the end. Look at the facts. The driver was drunk. The driver was obviously driving too fast for the road. The one person that was wearing a seat belt survived, the other three weren't. All these factors cause accidents daily but is there mass hype about it NO! So lets just give it a rest, or can't people & the media find anything more interesting too talk about.
Marty, UK

Find and explain the role of the white fiat Uno and then perhaps we can move on. Until then, the whole incident still smacks of conspiracy.
Zoe, Malaysia

Diana was a great princess, but it's time to move on.
Simon, England

I agree that there should be no more investigations or speculation about the Princess's death. But it must be remembered that if the press and media had not been there she would not have died.
Doug Beeby, UK

It should have been the end long ago. Princess Diana did really well at transcending her background with its limited outlook and limited role as a sort of glorified clotheshorse, and did some really wonderful things such as her work on landmines and with AIDS patients, etc. Those of us who admired and respected her should carry on the work that she was engaged in.
I can sympathise with Mr. Fayad's reactions to all that has happened, but I believe he is wrong. Dodi Fayad made the wrong decisions and paid the price, although I must say that the Princess' security should have been taken care of by the British government to a greater extent than was the case. They could not provide full coverage, but they could at least have monitored things and advised the Al Fayads a little.
Christopher Hobe Morrison, USA

Had the late Princess been at home with her children like most mothers, she would be alive today. She wasn't forced to be in Paris, or running around with an Arab playboy. Her death was due to misadventure and a love of life in the fast lane. Such pursuits are often fatal. This ought to be the end of it.
Jim Hubbell, USA

The issue and attendant matters have been comprehensively examined, and exhaustively inquired into. Time to draw a line under these sad and tragic events.
Ted Gormally, UK

I think this case should be closed. Even if you find some more things on it, what are you going to do? You can't bring Princess Diana back anyways.
Himanshi Patel, USA

Let's hope so. Too bad about Diana dying in a car crash. But, the ridiculous carnival put on over the death of a jet setting, spoiled, rich lady with a bit of a social conscience is downright boring. The tabloids will soon be reporting sightings of her with Elvis (if they haven't already), and the conspiracy enthusiasts will be selling books about the UN plot. Enough!
Michael, USA

The verdict is delivered. The company who commissioned the driver should be held responsible. No debate. History has now been recorded
Mark, Japan

Diana report: Should this be the end?:

Final Votes:

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			Yes: <% =percentyes %>%		No: <% =percentno %>%