LONDON – The findings of an official British report into the crash that killed Princess Diana, to be published on Thursday, conclude that the U.S. secret service was bugging Diana’s phone without the approval of its British counterpart on the night of her death, according to British newspaper reports.
But the thirty-nine transcripts held by the CIA contain no new information about how she died, the report adds.
It’s long been rumored that her work as anti-land mine campaigner brought her to the attention of the CIA, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Shiela MacVicar. The report will confirm the existence of the files, but does not reveal their contents, or offer an explanation.
It seems just one more incredible story about the death of the princess. In nine years since she died with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, conspiracists have had a field day. The report, by Lord Stevens, a former police commissioner, is designed to get at the truth.
The official French investigation found that Diana and Fayed died after their driver, Henri Paul, drunk at the wheel, lost control of their car.
But like the deaths of other iconic figures, where there are questions, there can be conspiracies – and allegations of murder.
Who could believe the most famous woman in the world could be killed by a drunk driver because she was not wearing a seat belt?
Martyn Gregory, author of “Diana: The Last Days,” has written extensively about the deaths.
“One thing about the internet is that it’s an evidence free environment and what Lord Stevens has done, I believe, is to be led by the evidence and that has informed his decisions,” Gregory tells MacVicar.
One of the most enduring tales has the blood of their driver swapped, reports MacVicar. Tonight a BBC investigation examining the conspiracies revealed that the blood samples of Henri Paul, showing he was drunk, have been subjected to DNA testing, and that they are his.
“It was Henry Paul’s blood – yes, he was drunk,” says Gregory. “I think that Lord Steven will find that he was going far too fast and that he wasn’t qualified to drive the car. So if you put those three elements together, that’s the key reason for the crash.”
A tragic accident that could, and should have, been avoided.