On Saturday, August 30, 1997, Diana and her rumored boyfriend, Egyptian billionaire Emad "Dodi" Fayed, arrived in Paris after a 10-day holiday on the French Riviera. They dined in the private salon of the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Coincidentally, Fayed's father, Mohammed Al-Fayed, owned the hotel at the time as well as the Harrods department store in London.
A few minutes after midnight on Sunday, Diana and Fayed left the hotel and boarded the Mercedes Benz, which was waiting for them, most likely heading to Fayed's private estate in Paris.
Despite the announced speed limit of 30 mph, driver Henri Paul reportedly approached the entrance to the road tunnel at the Alma Bridge in Paris at about 70 mph. Paul reportedly lost control of the car and crashed into a pillar in the middle of the highway.
Paul and Fayed died, and Diana— still alive — was rushed to Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital. Early reports suggested that Diana had a concussion, a broken arm and a thigh cut. However, the princess also suffered chest injuries. Two hours after the surgery, doctors tried to get Diana's heart to beat normally again. She never regained consciousness again. Diana died of internal bleeding at 4:53 a.m. on August 31, 1997.
During her lifetime, Diana reinvigorated the British monarchy, and after her death, she changed it forever.
Today, her legacy lives on, from the closure of Windsor to the more accessible way to the public, to the philanthropic work that William and Harry did, to almost everything Kate did.
