According to Ken Wharfe, Princess Diana’s former bodyguard, three critical security failures played a significant role in her tragic passing. It’s difficult to believe that nearly 30 years have passed since the untimely death of Princess Diana. The world lost not only an iconic figure and a dedicated humanitarian but also two young boys who lost their mother. It’s natural to wonder what she would be like today—how she would look, what role she would play, and how she might have continued to shape the world.
A Dangerous Driver Behind the Wheel
Ken Wharfe, who served as her bodyguard for six years, remembers Princess Diana with deep affection. Wharfe, who worked as her personal protection officer from 1987 to 1993, believes that the People’s Princess might still be alive today if certain decisions had been handled differently. One of the most critical mistakes, according to Wharfe, was the choice of driver on that fateful August night in 1997.
Diana was traveling with her boyfriend, Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, Ritz security chief Henri Paul, who was behind the wheel, and Dodi’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, the sole survivor of the crash. Tragically, Paul had consumed alcohol before driving and was operating the vehicle at dangerously high speeds when it collided with the 13th pillar of the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. Wharfe is convinced that Diana’s life could have been spared if someone else had been driving that night.
A Fatal Attempt to Outsmart the Paparazzi
Diana and Dodi initially planned to travel a short distance from the Ritz Hotel to an apartment near the Champs-Elysées. Another major misstep that evening was the lack of proper planning and coordination—or, more accurately, the complete absence of communication—with local authorities regarding the route and security arrangements.
Wharfe believes the tragedy could have been entirely avoided if Dodi and Diana’s security team had collaborated with local police instead of isolating them and treating the press as “the enemy.” In an attempt to evade the paparazzi, they devised a plan involving decoy vehicles. A Range Rover was stationed at the front entrance of the Ritz, with Dodi’s usual driver at the wheel, while Diana and Dodi exited through the rear in a black armored Mercedes.
Henri Paul, who was four times over the legal alcohol limit in France, had been called from his home to drive them. The high-speed chase that followed ended in catastrophe, with the Mercedes crashing at nearly 60 mph.
The Absence of a Security Team
Wharfe considers Diana’s decision to dismiss her Scotland Yard security team as the most significant and avoidable mistake. After her separation from Prince Charles in 1992, she eventually gave up her royal protection detail. Despite Wharfe’s warnings, Diana let go of her entire security team just four weeks later. He is certain that if Queen Elizabeth had insisted she retain them, Diana would have complied.
Diana’s passing sent shockwaves across the globe, dominating headlines for weeks. While her funeral became a historic moment of collective grief, the haunting images of her wrecked car remain etched in the memories of many.
More than two decades later, the debate over what could have saved Diana continues. For Ken Wharfe, however, the answers are clear: three crucial decisions that night ultimately sealed her fate. Do you agree with his assessment?