Former Head of Met Denies Diana Cover-Up and Says Her Death Was a Tragic Accident

Former Head of Met Denies Diana Cover-Up and Says Her Death Was a Tragic Accident

Jan 17, 05:47 PM

Britain's top policeman at the time that Diana, Princess of Wales died denied yesterday that she was murdered or that there was a police cover-up. Lord Condon, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner, told her inquest it would have been a "an absolute betrayal of everything I stood for".

Diana and Dodi Fayed died in an August 1997 car crash which can not be linked to any members of the Royal Family, he said.

Dodi's father, the Harrods boss Mohamed al Fayed, insists the couple were murdered by MI6 on the orders of Prince Philip.

Nicholas Hilliard, for the coroner, asked, "Is there any truth whatsoever in the suggestion that you as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police took part in a cover-up of a murder?"

Lord Condon told the jury, "That is absolutely wrong. It would be an absolute betrayal of everything I stood for."

None of the conspiracy theories which have flourished since Diana died are true, he said. "(Taking in) everything I have heard during this inquest, I believe that what happened on that night is the result of what is known to have happened on that night.

"It is not in any way a conspiracy involving members of the Royal Family or the security services or anyone else at all."

He added, "During my time as Commissioner, my remaining two-and- a-bit years, I was never made aware of anything whatsoever to suggest that this was anything other than a tragic incident."

On Tuesday the Met was accused of having "sat on" vital information that indicated the crash was suspicious. This key document was a letter written by Diana's divorce lawyer, Lord Mishcon, revealing the fears she had expressed to him in October 1995.

Lord Mishcon delivered it personally to Lord Condon at Scotland Yard on September 18 1997.

It was agreed the letter would be kept at Lord Condon's office, and not revealed publicly to save Princes William and Harry further pain, the inquest heard.

"Should this be placed in the public domain at this time they would have realised that their mother had these thoughts, that their mother had views of their father not acceding to the throne and that would be painful, and unnecessarily painful, to the young Princes," Lord Condon said.

It was agreed with Lord Mishcon, who has since died, that the content of the note would remain a secret among those who already knew about it. This included Diana's sisters and brother, the court heard. The Mishcon note was sent to the coroner in 2003.

The inquest continues.

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