A firefighter who was present at the tragic accident that took Princess Diana’s life has shared the royal’s poignant last words.
Princess Diana, also known as the Princess of Wales, was part of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles (who was then the Prince of Wales) and the mother of Princes William and Harry.
Throughout her life, she rose to international fame, becoming an icon recognized for her activism and elegance, with her influence leaving a lasting mark on both the royal family and British society.
Diana Frances Spencer, who was born into British nobility, first met King Charles in 1977 at her family’s estate, Althorp, according to People magazine.
At the time, King Charles was 29 years old, and he recalled his initial thoughts, saying: “I remember thinking what a very jolly and amusing and attractive 16-year-old she was.
“I mean, great fun, and bouncy and full of life and everything.”
When Princess Diana was questioned about her first impressions of King Charles, she described him as “Simply amazing.”
Princess Diana and King Charles were married in 1981, and a year later, they celebrated the birth of Prince William. In 1984, the couple welcomed their second son, Prince Harry.
Following fifteen years of marriage, the royal couple divorced in 1996.
A spokesperson for the princess issued a statement, saying: “The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles’s request for a divorce.”
“The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James’s Palace.”
“The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales.”
In July 1997, Princess Diana appeared to start a relationship with Dodi Al Fayed, a film producer and the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Only a month later, at the age of 36, Princess Diana, along with Fayed and their chauffeur, Henri Paul, tragically lost their lives in a high-speed car accident in Paris. Her bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was severely injured in the crash.
Late on August 30, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed left the Ritz Hotel in Paris, with the hotel’s head of security, Henri Paul, driving them away.
Their car was closely followed by photographers and press members on motorcycles, tracking their every move.
Shortly afterward, the car crashed, resulting in the deaths of both Paul and Fayed.
According to CNN, Princess Diana passed away in the early hours of August 31 due to severe internal injuries. Reports indicated she had suffered lung damage, severe head injuries, and cardiac arrest.
Dr. Bruno Riou, who led the intensive care unit at Paris’ Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, stated: “We could not revive her.”
It was later discovered that Henri Paul had been over the legal alcohol limit, according to the BBC. The Guardian reported that a French judge ultimately determined that Paul was responsible for the crash, rather than the photographers and press who were chasing the car.
The BBC also noted that millions of people worldwide tuned in to watch Princess Diana’s funeral.
Her youngest son, Prince Harry, shared with Newsweek: “My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television.”
“I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”
Even though more than 26 years have gone by since the tragic passing of Princess Diana, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about what exactly happened that night.
One of the individuals present at the scene that evening was firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, who at first didn’t recognize that the woman he was helping was the princess.
The firefighter recalled that Princess Diana’s eyes were open and she was conscious.
In an interview with The Sun, he said: “I could see she had a slight injury to her right shoulder but, other than that, there was nothing significant. There was no blood on her at all.”
Gourmelon also shared that she spoke her final words to him, which were heartbreakingly: “My God, what’s happened?”