25 years after, controversy still trails Princess Diana’s death

She was the darling of the media. She adorned the covers of celebrity magazines and tabloids as the media just couldn’t get enough of her.

And in a world where being a royal ‘condemns’ you to the media spotlight with all its crazy moments, Diana’s short life was a tragic movie that played out before our very eyes.

Thanks to controversy trailing her marriage to Prince Charles amid accusations of his cheating with his lifelong lover, Camila Parker-Bowles and her ‘brazen’ affair with Arab playboy, Dodi Fayed.

However, all that came tragically to an end on the night of August 31, 1997, in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris after her limousine crashed while paparazzi were allegedly chasing her after yet another tryst with Dodi in Paris. Sadly, she died at the young age of just 36.

Indeed, her death culminated in massive outpouring of grief across the globe as fans and admirers just couldn’t wrap their minds around the fact that Princess Di, the Queen of glam was no more.

And today, 25 years after, the whole world still remembers that elegant fashion icon and princess who carried herself with poise, exhibiting a unique style that endeared her to millions across the globe.

Indeed, the world stood still for her as tabloids, newspapers, TV stations and millions ‘scrambled’ to gobble up whatever they could about her at the silver jubilee of her passing.

Despite her marriage falling apart and always under the constant glare of the media, Diana still had that special smile that displayed a row of perfect teeth for everybody and her philanthropic efforts across the globe made constant headlines.

At the time, Dodi’s dad, Mohammed had claimed that the crash was orchestrated by MI6 on the instructions of the Royal Family. And 25 years after, questions still persist; was her death planned because she was on the ‘precipice’ of contaminating blue blood? There were rumours she was pregnant for Dodi. So, was it just an accident like the Paget Report commissioned by the Metropolitan Police claim? Should we hold Henri Paul, her driver for that night who according to a French investigation lost control of the vehicle she was traveling in at high speed while intoxicated by alcohol and under the effects of prescription drugs, solely responsible for the crash?

Indeed, that the circumstances surrounding Diana’s unceremonious death alongside her lover, Dodi, were confusing and chaotic at the time is not in doubt and still do today. For years, conspiracy theorists have raised questions like, why did the ambulance take so long to get to the scene? Why did emergency responders clear the tunnel so quickly? And, why were the surveillance cameras not working?

Though these questions may never be satisfactorily answered despite investigations like the Paget Report and the French investigation of 1999 and thus continue to fuel conspiracy theories, one thing is certain, the legacy of Diana, Princess of Whales lives on 25 years after her death thus reserving for her a place in history as far as the British Royal Family is concerned. indeed, before Megan Markle, there was Princess Di and she was the opposite of everything the royal family represented!