Diana Inquest

The Diana inquest refers to the legal inquiries into the 1997 deaths of Princess Diana and her companion Dodi Al-Fayed. In England and Wales, these official inquiries are used to determine the nature of a person's death—how, where and when it happened—but not to assign blame or sentence those found responsible.

Al-Fayed's father, billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, had long suggested that the car accident that killed Diana and his son had been a premeditated murder that was part of a larger conspiracy. While the jury determined that the incident was unlawful and the deaths were caused by negligence on the part of both the couple's driver and the aggressive paparazzi chasing their car, it is not likely that criminal prosecutions will be pursued. However, Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, is likely to be called to trial on perjury charges in relation to statements he made during the inquest and on video afterwards.

Fast Facts:

Inquest is not a trial—there is no prosecution and no defense
Inquest aim: to find how, when and where the cause of death arose
Jury's conclusion must be based on proven evidence
Two separate inquests made (one for Diana and one for Al-Fayed)
Coroner's jury for the inquest: 11 people
Verdict: 9-2 majority
Duration: 6 months
No members of the Royal Family appeared (but Princes William and Harry were represented)
Only 20 courtroom seats available for the public
Mohamed Al-Fayed claims Diana was pregnant at the time of her death and British Intelligence concealed the evidence
Diana, Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul died in Paris on August 31, 1997