The mother of the late Princess of Wales said yesterday that her daughter did not give any last words to medical staff, and "did not suffer" before she died. Mrs Frances Shand Kydd, in her first media interview since her daughter's death early on September 1st, rejected reports that her daughter had spoken to ambulance staff at the scene of the fatal car crash in Paris.
"I know the extent and nature of Diana's injuries and I know and promise everyone that she knew nothing," she said. "She did not suffer at all. There have been many stories in the press which have led people to believe differently which has been distressing to many people. But believe me, my knowledge comes first hand from the people who cared for Diana in Paris - she did not suffer at all."
Mrs Shand Kydd (61) said her "heart aches" for the family of Henri Paul, the driver of the Mercedes in which Princess Diana died. Mr Paul was found to have had over three times the French legal limit of alcohol in his blood when he died, but a bodyguard who was with him the night of the accident says he appeared normal.
Mr Alexander Wingfield, a bodyguard employed by Mr Dodi Fayed's family, spent about two hours immediately before the crash with 41-year-old Mr Paul. He confirmed a defence of Mr Paul made by the Fayed family. Mr Wingfield has told BBC1's Panorama programme: "I never saw the guy drink anything. I mean he was French, he'd been off duty. The French drink wine at every meal, but there was nothing in his demeanour that would suggest to me that he was drunk. He was exactly the same as he was in the afternoon, just a nice guy and he was sober."
In a programme, entitled Panorama: Diana, The Last Day, to be screened tonight, Mr Wingfield says: "If anyone is to blame it should be whoever was hounding the car that night because there had been an escalation throughout the whole period we were away" (the Princess and Mr Fayed had just returned from a holiday in Sardinia on the night they died).
Meanwhile, as a poll was published suggesting that the British believe Queen Elizabeth has lost touch with society, came hints of a political row over the aftermath of Princess Diana's death. A survey published in the Sun- day Times showed that 72 per cent of those questioned considered that the queen was out of touch with modern society. Of those who thought she should step down, 23 per cent said she should abdicate "immediately" and 30 per cent said she should when she reached the age of 75 in 2001.
And the Conservative party leader, Mr William Hague, used a television interview with Sir David Frost to complain that the Labour government had capitalised on the national mourning. "The thing that has annoyed me most of all is the leaking of confidential advice in briefings to the press that put the government in a good light and the royal family in a bad light," Mr Hague said. The Prime Minister's office later denied there had been press briefings on the advice the government had given to the royal family.
Elton John's Candle in the Wind tribute to the princess has become the fastest-selling record of all time, having reached platinum status with some 600,000 copies sold in just one day in Britain, Mercury Records said yesterday. British music shops were sold out of all copies of the disc within hours of its release on Saturday.