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Firefighter revealed Princess Diana's tragic final words before she died

Home> News> Royal Family

Published 12:32 22 May 2025 GMT+1

Firefighter revealed Princess Diana's tragic final words before she died

It's coming up to the 28th anniversary of the late Princess of Wales' death in 1997

Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle

In just a few month's time, we'll be coming up to the late Princess Diana's anniversary of death.

It will be 28 years ago on 31 August that the mother-of-two uttered her final words before slipping into a coma and eventually sadly passing away in 1997.

The then 36-year-old Diana had been enjoying her evening in Paris, the City of Love, with her rumoured boyfriend Dodi Fayed, before tragedy struck.

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The driver of 'People's Princess' - the mother of Prince Harry and Prince William and ex-wife of King Charles III - named Henri Paul as well as Dodi’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, were all in the car together and had been travelling through the Pont de l'Alma underpass when paparazzi chased them down.

The paparazzi chase eventually resulted in a horrific car crash.

Princess Diana died aged just 36 on 31 August 1997 (Princess Diana Archive / Stringer / Getty Images)
Princess Diana died aged just 36 on 31 August 1997 (Princess Diana Archive / Stringer / Getty Images)

When French firefighters attended the scene, one of them didn't realise that he'd hear the last words the royal family member would ever speak.

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According to reports, the driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the car crashing into a column inside the tunnel, which killed himself and Dodi on impact.

Diana and Dodi's bodyguard were alive, but severely injured and had to be taken to hospital for life-saving measures.

On the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017, Xavier Gourmelon spoke to Good Morning Britain about what she said to him that night.

Claiming that upon attending the scene, no one was initially aware that Diana had been one of the victims.

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When she regained consciousness in the back of the car whilst talking to him, she allegedly asked him: "Oh my god, what's happened?"

Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul died while Dodi's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was seriously injured but survived the crash (Langevin Jacques / Contributor / Getty Images)
Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul died while Dodi's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was seriously injured but survived the crash (Langevin Jacques / Contributor / Getty Images)

He said the late Princess then became temporarily agitated before losing consciousness again

"I tried to calm her down and tell her we’d look after her, and she fell into a coma again."

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It was during her removal from the car, however, that Xavier says her health rapidly deteriorated.

"At that moment, the doctor said she was in cardiac arrest. So, we gave her CPR and after 20 seconds, she regained consciousness, and we transferred her to the ambulance."

Sadly, after medics at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris attempted to save her life, at 4.00am the following morning the princess died after another cardiac arrest, from which surgeons could not resuscitate her.

While the late Princess of Wales, Dodi and their driver Paul died, Dodi's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was seriously injured but survived.

Featured Image Credit: Jacques Langevin/scottbaker-inquests.gov.uk via Getty Images/Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Topics: King Charles III, News, Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Diana, Royal Family, UK News, World News

Rhiannon Ingle
Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle is a Senior Journalist at Tyla, specialising in TV, film, travel, and culture. A graduate of the University of Manchester with a degree in English Literature, she honed her editorial skills as the Lifestyle Editor of The Mancunian, the UK’s largest student newspaper. With a keen eye for storytelling, Rhiannon brings fresh perspectives to her writing, blending critical insight with an engaging style. Her work captures the intersection of entertainment and real-world experiences.

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