Date posted: 9/19/11
The Croatian town of Hvar having a growing reputation as an exclusive party
destination was further enhanced by the arrival of royal raver Prince Harry
on August 27th 2011, who made quite an impression at top nightclub
"Veneranda" by jumping barefoot, but otherwise fully dressed, into a swimming
pool. Wearing a blue shirt, jeans and baseball cap the prince, who will be
27 yrs this month (September 15th), danced barefoot by the poolside at one
of Croatia’s top open-air nightclubs, before plunging into the water.
After a brief soak, the prince climbed out and continued to dance to the
thudding sounds of German house - music duo "Milk and Sugar" until 5am,
to wild roars of approval from fellow party goers, who were clearly enjoying
the royal show. Veneranda has a capacity for a 1000 guests, including a
VIP area for 200; Harry ignored the VIP zone, preferring to dance under the stars with regular guests.
The Prince is believed to have arrived on an easy jet flight to Split and to be staying
on a yacht off Hvar, voted among the world’s top ten most beautiful islands by readers
of Conde Nast. His presence was confirmed by local mayor, Pjerino Bebic who tells that Hvar is a regular spot for
celebrities to visit which include also Brad Pitt and David Beckham as the paparazzi leave them alone!
Harry, who like his mother has a natural empathy with children and enjoys comforting sick children particularly, a week
later attended an awards ceremony honouring the monumental bravery of seriously and sometimes terminally ill
children organised by the charity "Wellchild" which he has been patron of since 2007. The two sides of Harry serving
for newspapers to ask which side is the true one of this Jekyll and Hyde prince? Personally channeling Diana who has
always said that he is more Spencer than Windsor and inherited her rebellious streak, I'd say both! Diana seen one
moment bringing to the world's attention the land mine Issue and the next intimately embraced with Dodi Fayed in a
speedboat in the South of France. Harry is a "Wild Card" and likes to drink though friends say he is not the best at
handling alcohol and letting his hair down but he also takes his Military career and his Charity Work very seriously so
give the guy a break!
Harry has not appeared much in public because he has been fully involved in training to become an Apache
helicopter pilot which is why he is also single, though said to still be in touch with Chelsy Davy but his job comes first
and he cannot afford to get involved in any serious relationship. Harry wants more than anything to serve his country
in Afghanistan. Harry known as "Hazza" knows how lucky he has been and with no favouritism involved to be selected
to train to fly the £46 million Apache, the most technically advanced attack helicopter, only the top two percent of
candidates are selected and equipment like this would not be risked in his hands because he is a Prince. It is because
he is an immensely talented pilot and recognised as such by his superior officers. He has been training at R.A.F.
Wattisham, Suffolk and in October transfers to the U.S.A. dividing his time between the Naval Air Facility in El Centro,
California and the Air Force Auxillary Air Field in Gila Bend, Arizona. He will return to the U.K. for Christmas and could
receive his first posting to the front line in Afghanistan in January 2012. The Queen reported to being "overwhelmingly
supportive" in his decision and the Top Brass happy to deploy him. This will mean he being in the direct line of the
Taliban's line of fire but this is what he wants, to be in the thick of things but knowing that prince or not they will
endeavour to shoot him down.
Harry himself has said " I am who I am and I'm not going to change because I'm being criticised by the press. I'm
always going to have a childish streak, what does everyone expect me to be? " Channeling Diana the answer to that
echoes what he says "Just to be himself!" as Diana enjoyed being a "Free - Spirit" in life and given a choice, as Diana
said a long time ago, he'd live somewhere in Africa and never be seen again... but this a choice that is denied him
being the younger son of "H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales".
Christian.
" Hello Everyone
I agree with Christian, for goodness sake leave him alone ! He's a young man out having fun
when not fully involved in an extensive military training. He is not causing harm to anyone at all in having fun with
personal friends of his at a nightclub and takes his charity work very seriously as I did; like Mother, like son and very
much so in Harry's case. He is so like me in every way except he hasn't dated married partners whilst they've been
married and Harry a word of advice from Mummy .. Don't or the Media will have even more of a field day with you,
something you really don't need. I in fact hope you and Chelsy unite as she grounds you and I think perfectly
compliments you though I do appreciate that whilst you are involved within the Military, it is perhaps better for both of
you to remain somewhat low key; at least for the time being but hopefully neither of you will give up on each other !
I would also like to say how incredibly brave you are in your decision to serve in Afghanistan
and how enormously proud I am of you in making this decision which as a decision made by you I too fully support
though loving you so very much Harry not one that I would encourage you making knowing how special you are and
particularly to Papa and William."
With love from,
Diana xx / Mummy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date posted: 9/19/11
Harry honours his mother's legacy on the anniversary of her death 09/01/2011
Prince Harry gave a speech as patron of the Wellchild charity congratulating the winners, the children and those
involved in their care. Harry who is patron of the charity made the appearance on the fourteenth anniversary of the
death of his mother, Diana Princess of Wales. Harry didn't mention the significance of the date. There was no need for
him to do so. By making time for severely ill youngsters on the 14th anniversary of his beloved mother's death, Harry
showed that on this day more than any other he hopes to make her proud. Just as Diana did so often when she took her
boys to meet the sick or needy, her son crouched down, holding the hand of a severely disabled child while chatting to
her little sister about the challenges of caring for her.
Harry also presented the "best brave child" prizes to Harley Lane, six, and Sophie Cooper, five. Harley, from Stockport,
had to have his arms and legs amputated after being infected with life-threatening meningococcal septicaemia. Sophie,
from Lincoln, was born prematurely and suffers from cerebral palsy, a cause close to the late Princess' heart.
Diana was recognised with the 1995 United Cerebral Palsy Humanitarian Award for raising awareness about the
condition.
In a speech at the end of the ceremony, the second in line to the thrown described the experience as "humbling".
"I feel in awe of individuals with such determination, resolve and strength to take on the challenges they face from such
a young age," he said.
"It is equally heart-warming to meet those who dedicate themselves to caring for these remarkable children and young
people, and hear all that they do to make their lives the very best they can be. Your example is an inspiration to
everybody.
"I have seen at first-hand the impact this wonderful charity can have on people's lives.
"The stories we have heard tonight are just the tip of the iceberg."
Date posted: 9/21/11
Diana and the Private Eye
Published: 6 /28 / 2011
An exclusive interview with author and Private Detective Richard McDonough who has written a book about Princess
Diana called "A Cincinnati Private Eye Protecting Princess Diana: A Fascinating Footnote In History" The book
available from Amazon $10.68 It is a true and fascinating story in which Richard gives an amazing incite into Diana's
caring personality, and of how she went to extraordinary lengths to help a close friend, and of how he came to meet and
help the 'People's Princess'
Interviewer : "Mr. McDonough can you tell us about yourself?"
Richard : I am a licensed Private Detective by the state of Ohio USA. Have been in this business with the Shamus
Agency since 1971, but even before this, I was in the investigative field working for other firms. After being discharged
from military service at age 21, I immediately started pursuing this career and started out learning the insurance
investigation business for a number of years. I then left and worked as a bail bondsmen. Searching, finding and bringing
back to jail, those individuals that were wanted for various crimes, both misdemeanors and felonies. I did this for almost
3 years.
This job was somewhat dangerous and had no real future, other than being hurt really bad or even killed. I then became
an insurance investigator / claims adjuster for several large multiple line insurance companies, doing a variety of
investigations. Primarily suspicious death cases. I worked in this field for several years, then decided to open my own
business. I then formed the Shamus Private Detective Agency, operating out of Cincinnati,Ohio. Here we handled all
lines of investigation, including personal protection (body guarding) for executives, companies and political candidates
and of course the general public when called upon with that need.
I trained through the “E.S.I.” Executive Security Internationale, out of Aspen Colorado as a protection agent (body
guard). ESI, a long time training facility providing body guards, special security and soldier’s of fortune (so to speak) for
most foreign countries for heads of state, King, Queens and other royalty and other high ranking dignitaries, as well as
American executives traveling abroad in hostile area’s. Here we were taught and trained extensively in the art of self
defense, in all aspects and phases to the point of high proficiency to protect our principal assigned to us.
Currently, I am still the owner and operator of the Shamus Detective Agency handling pretty much the same line of
cases, but now with heavy emphasis on “infidelity & Cheating” and child custody situations. Wrongful taking or
kidnapping.
Interviewer : "Tell us about your really amazing story and how you came to meet Princess Diana."
Richard : One early morning in the fall of 1993, I had returned to my office after working an all nighter stake out at a
local downtown Cincinnati hotel, and a cheating spouse. While sitting at my desk, drinking a luke warm cup of coffee my
office phone rang. In answering, I heard a very soft, delicate sounding women’s voice, speaking with what I thought to
be an English accent, telling me –
“Hello, this is Princess Diana of Wales” and I have an assignment I would like speak to you about if we could meet and
discuss it further.
“Well. . .. taking into to consideration in this very early morning call - that I am very tired, worked all night, and couldn’t
really hear the caller very well. She spoke a little to fast and her accent threw me a little.
I must admit, at first I thought this was a “prank” caller. . .someone just trying to get my goat, so to speak. Or just a nut
case, which we in this business frequently get a fair amount of this type of caller, and I felt this was just an out and out
“bullshit” caller, but I didn’t hang up like I normally do. This time, I was very cordial and asked the caller. . . . “would
you please repeat what you just said, mam”- as I didn’t quite understand you?
The caller, was very polite and dignified, and this time she said it again – “This is Princess Diana of Wales” and I need to
have a consultation with you right away on a very important matter."
This time I heard her loud and clear!"
So, this was how I initially met with Princess Diana. Her personal call to me at my office, of which I still had reservations
about as to her authenticity but I continued to talk to her and set up an appointment to meet to discuss it all .
Interviewer : “Where you surprised when Diana first contacted you?”
Richard : “You bet - Not only was I surprised,” I didn’t believe she was a legitimate caller, as I previously mention here
in this letter. I almost hung up on her several times – but something in the tone and manner of her voice kept metalking
to her. I mean, hell. . .how many times does some one call and the first thing out of their mouth is, “ Hi – I’m Princess
Diana of Wales?”
Normally I would reply with something like yeah . . .and this is “Sherlock Holmes,” or something to this effect sort of
retaliating with “I don’t believe you!” But as I said for some reason, I suppose I kinda believed the caller – or maybe I
just wanted to! To answer your question, I sure was surprised and shocked with disbelief!"
Interviewer : “What were your first impressions upon meeting Diana?”
Richard : “One of total disbelief at first, that this was happening – and at that very first moment of seeing her, face to
face under the circumstances, I was torn with “ my God – it’s her!” ( Based on my recall of her pictures I’d seen.)
Let’s face it, I had never ever met or even seen Princess Diana, other than in magazines or a few times on the tube. . . but
at that moment, she hit me as being very, very real.
A vibrant beauty with a lovely smiling charm as she introduced herself saying to me – “Hi, you're Mac?”
“As she reached her hand out to me, to shake it, I really felt it was her, – even though she was dressed down at that
meeting, wearing jeans, white gym shoes a sweater trimmed in red piping around it, and wearing a baggy beret cocked to
one side of her head , she hit me as the epitome of a classy woman. And especially the captivating fragrance of her being
- as she quite surprisingly briefly hugged me, a hug I will never forget!
Interviewer : “ Were you impressed by how Diana risked her life to help her Close friend?
Richard : “Not only was I impressed, but I continuously wrestled with the WHY!” Now I do have some very best friends
that I would go the mile for under normal conditions.
But here we have a Princess, Royalty and a lovely young women at a point in her life in which she was about to become
divorced, lose a part of her position in the family of Royalty and in the eyes of her public.
And she was really under the “gun” so to speak at that point – yet risking where she was in life –
Diana, never looked at this as a normal helping of a friend out! The closeness was far more than “just” an enduring
friendship. This was very important, high priority and in no way would the word “Just” be considered.
Interviewer : “ How did it feel to be able to assist her in this secret and maybe dangerous case?”
Richard : Of course the mere thought of being picked to help and work with Di and her friend, was a total vote of
confidence in me and my ability, both from an investigational stand point of capability and as well – a trust she had in
me to know I would be there for her and her friend, ‘should the chips fall.’ No matter what. I would take all risk’s in
keeping her and her friend out of harms-way. She had confident vibes and history that my past record and training
would provided her a peace of mind in her safety in this venture.
I mean, let’s face it. I’m a lone private eye, and have been for a number of years, because that’s the way I wanted it.
Although at one time I had over 12 agents in my agency. The secrecy of this operation was paramount to Diana.
There are many larger security companies with hundreds of personnel, with a following for executive protection and
security, that she could have had work with her. Unfortunately, when you have a large agency, and a lot of personnel
knowing what the operation is, you also have a far better chance of a leak, or just someone bullshitting and boasting
about the case But as I understood it, I was picked for a variety of reasons. This operation had to be kept absolutely low
key. And very secret, or she would have been stopped before it got started, don’t forget Diana was in the process of her
divorce and had been more or less separated from Prince Charles over a year and a half at the time she came to
Cincinnati.
Diana was very careful to choose and keep only her closest friends and contacts to help her in setting the operation up.
And even keeping her own special servant Paul Burrell from knowing the total extent of what she was doing – telling him
only what he needed to keep her MIA reasons from the media, family and other security. The fact that I was a small
agency was better for Diana’s plans. We all know when you get in situations where a lot personnel know what you are
doing, that the risk of the compromising the operation is much greater, and this was her theory.
After her source more or less checked me out as far as my experience and ability, she felt confident that the secret
operation would have a much better chance with fewer people knowing. Don’t forget she also had the little problem of
sneaking out of England to get to Cincinnati undiscovered. Royalty, her normal security and the media’s had to be kept
in total darkness, and it was.
Interviewer : "Were you nervous about having Diana’s safety totally in your hands, so to speak?"
Richard : I sure was – in reading the book, you will note where I was constantly asking Diana, to get out of my vehicle
for a short time, while I was pursuing
vehicles at high speeds, and was always told , No and to go after them.
On more than one occasions I pleaded to Diana, not to go in my vehicle on certain operations, and her answer to me on
more times than not was simply
“No –way Jose!”
I even told her if she got hurt or worse while in my pursuit vehicle, I would probably be sent to the UK by America, and
allow them to hang me from the “yard arm, so to speak!”
She always just laughed and said, "Mac you worry to much", and then off we would go.
Interviewer : "Was it difficult keeping your story secret for so many years?"
Richard : “Absolutely – no doubt about it.” But when Diana first hired me, she made me promise never to tell, or
convey who her friend was that she referred to as Juli. I’m not sure if that was even her real name.
And of course I agreed with her and honored that promise. I did ask Diana at one point in time, could I ever talk about
our connection and she laughed and said, yes of course - but give it some time, at least ten years or so, and I agreed.
And yes, it was difficult not telling the story, my brother Jerry and I were the only ones that new, and he was my other
agent and with us the entire time. He nor I ever told or wives or any one else.
This is a confidential business and I have always given my clients the comfort in knowing, “what they did and said at
Shamus – stays with Shamus”, just like the casino’s. After so many years past, I didn’t really think about it much, unless
something cropped up, that made me remember it. Then one day, I realized this is a part of history and to some degree,
I was a part of that history in a small way and very proud to have been involved with Princess Diana in this venture.
And then I felt – it’s been long enough, I want the world to know what happened and what Diana did for her friend - and
tht I was chosen to help her.
And really, no other reason! I just wanted to tell the story, so her friends , family, royalty and the rest of the world
would know even more good things about this great women – I’m not here to prove anything!
Interviewer : "What made you decide to write your book about the story?"
Richard : I more or less described the answer to this question earlier. But as well, I want to write one more book about
Princess Diana and myself, with regard to a very special and unforgettable relationship that seemed as though it lasted a
life time . . . . yet cemented and formed in a time span far to short, and this memory will only end when I do!
Interviewer :" In your opinion does your book show a side to Diana the media hasn’t seen before?"
Richard : Most definitely – in my opinion the side that I experienced in our very brief relationship, reflected a side that
there was no way, the media could gain a picture of what Diana really was thinking or was like.
Most media’s never even got to talk to her, no conversations no statements, no nothing – only what they saw her doing
and who it was with.
Diana seemed to be at peace with herself and her thoughts, as just the two of us rode in our pursuit vehicles all those
days. while pondering her thoughts and engaging in long detailed conversations for hours and hours, saying exactly
what she really felt about her life and those close to her, and everything around her. In our long conversations as we
continued driving for days searching and sitting for long durations watching our subject, the manner and trust that
seemed to grow stronger and stronger in each conversation was now very honest and open of things Diana started
talking to me about.
Once in a while she would look at me and say – "My life is already in your hands, and I trust you and your ability, who
else could I ever tell my real feelings to?". And then she would adorn me with her great smile and continue on talking.
And I know from things she talked about – “that here is a women, who is in the midst of the world continually, but
emotionally feels alone,” yet hungry for life but seemed lost.
Interviewer : "It's Diana’s 50th birthday this week, what do you think she would have been like now?"
Richard : In my personal opinion, and from some of the things she talked to me about I feel she would have looked
more devastatingly beautiful now, than ever! I noticed after her separation and divorce, from some of her old pictures
in that period of time how much she changed, and grew into a real women. The 50th is only a number – who and what
she was just brought her to a new point in life.
I do think from what I know of her, and the many, many things we talked about, that she would still be a single women
today enjoying her life and the company of any man she would ever desire. She would have never married Dodi.
She did say, that after her marriage experience she probably would never marry again, she said she wants to be in
charge of her own life. And what she wanted to do with it.
Interviewer : "Do you think people will always have a fascination with Diana?"
Richard : Look at the people that are still fascinated with her for the past 18 years. She was one of kind, and the world
knows that. In my personal view of her, that is an absolute yes. She will always be the fascinating woman she was, and I
will never forget her !
Interviewer : Thank you Richard
Date posted: 9/22/11
To Those Who Knew Diana's Driver, His Actions Are an Unsettling Puzzle
By CRAIG R. WHITNEY with YOUSSEF M. IBRAHIM
Published: September 21, 1997
PARIS, FRANCE Sept. 20 1997 Henri Paul, the man who died behind the wheel in the crash that killed Diana, Princess
of Wales, and her escort three weeks ago, was buried this morning, leaving his family and friends still perplexed by
official findings that he drank heavily and took antidepressant drugs before the accident.
Mr. Paul's job that night, as the Ritz Hotel's acting security director, was to protect two of the most important charges
ever entrusted to him: the Princess and her escort, Emad (Dodi) Mohamed al-Fayed, the son of the hotel's owner,
Mohamed al-Fayed, who also owns the Harrods department store in London.
Nothing in the life of Mr. Paul, a 41-year-old bachelor from Brittany, explains why he would ignore those
responsibilities and take heavily to the bottle, say those who knew him.
A romantic relationship had broken up two years ago, but he had gotten over it, they say. His lifelong passion was
flying, and he had passed a demanding physical for his pilot's license two days earlier. Playing tennis with his closest
friend in Paris on that last morning, he declined their usual post-game beer, saying he had to go to the airport with
another driver to pick up Diana and her escort.
The security cameras at the Ritz bar that he himself monitored to discourage other employees from tippling did not
show him drinking during his last hours there, say officials of the London-based corporation that owns the Ritz,
contradicting press reports.
Yet French prosecutors said that his body showed a blood alcohol level of between 0.173 and 0.187 percent after the
accident at 12:25 A.M. Sunday, Aug. 31 -- more than three times the legal driving limit. Lawyers for the Fayed family
were so surprised by the results of the first two tests that they insisted on a third, which also revealed traces of drugs
used for treating depression.
The alcohol level in Mr. Paul's blood indicated that he had consumed about 10 drinks. The third set of tests was
conducted in such a way to make certain that any possible contamination of earlier results was avoided.
''He was not an alcoholic,'' said Dominique Melo, a psychology teacher at the University of Rennes and a friend of Mr.
Paul's for 25 years. Mr. Melo has been trying to shield Mr. Paul's family from publicity portraying him as a dissolute
drinker.
''I never had any hesitancy about getting into his car with him at the end of a dinner,'' Mr. Melo said in a telephone
interview. ''What happened is just incomprehensible to all of us.''
Lawyers who have heard this sort of thing before say that Mr. Paul's friends could be covering for him. And the Ritz
management, which could be held responsible for criminal negligence for putting him behind the wheel while he was
drunk and without a required limousine chauffeur's license, has every reason to deny knowledge that he was drinking
on duty.
A report in the daily Le Monde this week quoted colleagues at the Ritz saying that Mr. Paul had taken to heavy
drinking and tranquilizers after the breakup in 1995 of a long relationship with Laurence Pujol, said to be a former
secretary at the hotel.
''They were never engaged, and he took the breakup the way anybody would,'' Mr. Melo said, denying that Mr. Paul
seemed under any unusual stress.
More recently, restaurateurs and bar owners in Mr. Paul's neighborhood saw him dining with another young woman.
Attempts to further identify or reach either woman were unsuccessful.
Mysterious Events Baffled Neighbors
Mr. Paul, it is clear, was a regular visitor to the many cafes and bars in his neighborhood between the Ritz and the
Palais Royal in the heart of Paris. Still, for many of those who knew him, his death leaves a mystery.
He reportedly kept a motorcycle at his parents' house in Brittany, where his funeral was held today in the port city of
Lorient. But his own car in Paris was a poky black Austin Mini with automatic transmission.
The Fayeds' lawyers still insist that without photographers in pursuit there would have been no crash, and two French
investigating judges are trying to determine whether photographers may have led Mr. Paul to lose control. The
Mercedes S280 he was driving smashed head on into a support pillar in a tunnel under the Place de l'Alma
Only a British bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, 29, survived, and the investigating judges interrogated him on Friday,
but officials said he apparently had no memory of the crash. Some other witnesses have described a slow-moving
black car in front of the limousine that disappeared after the accident.
Mr. Paul showed no obvious signs of inebriation, officials at the Ritz said, when he took the wheel at 12:20 A.M., a
substitute for the regular driver in a maneuver to throw photographers off Diana's trail.
But the hotel, the Fayeds and friends like Mr. Melo eventually concluded that they had to accept the results of the
blood tests.
''I don't think we can realistically dispute it,'' Mr. Melo said in a telephone interview. ''Who knows how it came to be.
Maybe he hadn't eaten anything that night, maybe the drugs complicated the effect of a few glasses of wine.''
Aviation Training And Video Monitors
On that last day, Claude Garrec, perhaps Mr. Paul's closest friend in Paris, played tennis with him at a club in
suburban Issy-les-Moulineaux. Mr. Paul told him that he was expecting Diana and Mr. Fayed to fly in from Sardinia to
Le Bourget Airport, north of Paris, after 3 P.M., Mr. Garrec told the daily Le Parisien.
So, Mr. Garrec said, he and Mr. Paul did not have their usual after-tennis beer in Le Pelican, a bar near Mr. Paul's
fifth-floor walkup apartment in a rundown building on the rue des Petits-Champs. ''All he had was a couple of Cokes,''
Mr. Garrec said.
Mr. Melo said that Mr. Paul had passed his annual pilot's physical, with no evidence of a problem like alcoholism, on
Aug. 28. ''He has been flying planes since the 1970's,'' Mr. Melo said, and was qualified for flying in conditions of low
visibility.
''Believe me,'' Mr. Garrec said, ''these aren't the sort of things you can do if you're an alcoholic.''
Mr. Paul met Diana and Mr. Fayed at Le Bourget and followed their limousine into town in a Land Rover with their
baggage, with photographers dogging the convoy, ending up at the Ritz around 4 P.M.
Officials of the corporation that owns the Ritz say that the hotel's security cameras did not show Mr. Paul drinking at
the hotel bar in the next three hours.
Shortly after 7 P.M., by all accounts, Mr. Paul was told he could have the night off. By whom or why is not clear.
Another employee, named in French press reports as Philippe Dourneau, took the Princess and Mr. Fayed off for
dinner at Benoit, a fashionable bistro. Mr. Paul left the premises. But Mr. Dourneau, unable to shake the paparazzi,
took the couple back to dine at the Ritz.
Mr. Paul's whereabouts from 7 until 9:45 P.M., when the Ritz management called him on his portable telephone and
asked him to return, are unknown.
He was not in Le Bourgogne, a cafe in his neighborhood where a waitress said he often came but never had more
than a glass or two of pastis, a licorice-flavored liqueur served mixed with water.
He was not in his favorite restaurant, the Grand Colbert, where he and the blond woman in her 20's often came for
dinner.
''She would sometimes have a glass of Champagne,'' a manager said, ''but he would never have more than a beer
and glass of Vittel mineral water.''
He probably was not nearby in Harry's Bar, to the knowledge of any of the staff there, said the owner-manager,
Duncan MacElhone, who said Mr. Paul was not a regular customer.
Perhaps Mr. Paul was at home, where newspaper reports said the police found a bottle of white vermouth, three-
quarters empty, and an unopened bottle of Champagne in the refrigerator after his death.
He was seen at 9:45 by the owner of a nightspot called La Champmesle on the rue Chabanais, a stone's throw from
Mr. Paul's building, by a woman who would give her name only as Josy and who described the establishment as a
lesbian bar.
''His car was parked on the street, just opposite the entrance,'' she said. ''He had his keys in his hand, and he waved
to us, 'Good evening, girls, see you later,' as if he planned to drop in for a beer after he finished work. I've known him
for several years, and I've been tending bar for 25, and I can tell when somebody's drunk. He wasn't.''
He drove to the underground garage in front of the Ritz, parking about 10 P.M.
And he went back into the hotel, where nobody noticed his inebriated state and nobody, according to the hotel, saw
him drinking.
''I never saw the guy drink anything,'' said Kes Wingfield, a British bodyguard employed by the Fayed family who had
accompanied the couple on their flight from Sardinia.
French newspaper accounts, quoting anonymous sources, say he had one or two pastis or whiskies in the Ritz
between 10 P.M. and midnight.
At one point, said a lawyer for one of the photographers, Mr. Paul came out and bantered with them, saying
something like ''You won't catch us tonight.'' The challenge led some of the paparazzi to stake out the back entrance,
where they picked up the chase while Mr. Dourneau drove off in another sedan from the front.
Protecting Safety Of Rich and Famous
A balding, stocky, taciturn man who wore glasses, Mr. Paul gave an impression of distance and seriousness, friends
and acquaintances said.
He was born on July 3, 1956, in the Atlantic Coast city of Lorient, one of five sons of a municipal employee and a
schoolteacher. He went to the Lycee Saint-Louis there through the baccalaureat level, the diploma required to pursue
university studies, with a concentration in science.
Henri Paul did not go on to college, for, his friends say, his passion was flying. Mr. Paul got his first license at a flying
club in Vannes in 1974, Mr. Melo said. In 1978, he chose to do his obligatory year of military service in the French Air
Force -- but as an ordinary enlisted man doing security, not flying, at the air base in Rochefort, the army says.
He came to Paris in 1985 and made a living selling recreational watercraft, a business that often took him close to the
Ritz, where in 1986 he learned there was an opening in the security department. There, he was promoted to assistant
director, in charge of 20 guards. Much of the job consisted of monitoring surveillance cameras, dealing with petty
thieves and pickpockets and occasionally with deadbeats. The Ritz said it also put him through a training course for
drivers offered by Mercedes-Benz.
For Josy, at the bar down the street from Mr. Paul's home, the truth may never be known. ''Some things I think will
always be concealed from us,'' she said with a wave of her cigarette.
The Fayed family continues to have doubts about the reliability of the blood tests, and his parents decided not to
cremate his body in case yet another test needs to be done Henri Paul was buried in the port city of Lorient in
Brittany, France.
The Croatian town of Hvar having a growing reputation as an exclusive party
destination was further enhanced by the arrival of royal raver Prince Harry
on August 27th 2011, who made quite an impression at top nightclub
"Veneranda" by jumping barefoot, but otherwise fully dressed, into a swimming
pool. Wearing a blue shirt, jeans and baseball cap the prince, who will be
27 yrs this month (September 15th), danced barefoot by the poolside at one
of Croatia’s top open-air nightclubs, before plunging into the water.
After a brief soak, the prince climbed out and continued to dance to the
thudding sounds of German house - music duo "Milk and Sugar" until 5am,
to wild roars of approval from fellow party goers, who were clearly enjoying
the royal show. Veneranda has a capacity for a 1000 guests, including a
VIP area for 200; Harry ignored the VIP zone, preferring to dance under the stars with regular guests.
The Prince is believed to have arrived on an easy jet flight to Split and to be staying
on a yacht off Hvar, voted among the world’s top ten most beautiful islands by readers
of Conde Nast. His presence was confirmed by local mayor, Pjerino Bebic who tells that Hvar is a regular spot for
celebrities to visit which include also Brad Pitt and David Beckham as the paparazzi leave them alone!
Harry, who like his mother has a natural empathy with children and enjoys comforting sick children particularly, a week
later attended an awards ceremony honouring the monumental bravery of seriously and sometimes terminally ill
children organised by the charity "Wellchild" which he has been patron of since 2007. The two sides of Harry serving
for newspapers to ask which side is the true one of this Jekyll and Hyde prince? Personally channeling Diana who has
always said that he is more Spencer than Windsor and inherited her rebellious streak, I'd say both! Diana seen one
moment bringing to the world's attention the land mine Issue and the next intimately embraced with Dodi Fayed in a
speedboat in the South of France. Harry is a "Wild Card" and likes to drink though friends say he is not the best at
handling alcohol and letting his hair down but he also takes his Military career and his Charity Work very seriously so
give the guy a break!
Harry has not appeared much in public because he has been fully involved in training to become an Apache
helicopter pilot which is why he is also single, though said to still be in touch with Chelsy Davy but his job comes first
and he cannot afford to get involved in any serious relationship. Harry wants more than anything to serve his country
in Afghanistan. Harry known as "Hazza" knows how lucky he has been and with no favouritism involved to be selected
to train to fly the £46 million Apache, the most technically advanced attack helicopter, only the top two percent of
candidates are selected and equipment like this would not be risked in his hands because he is a Prince. It is because
he is an immensely talented pilot and recognised as such by his superior officers. He has been training at R.A.F.
Wattisham, Suffolk and in October transfers to the U.S.A. dividing his time between the Naval Air Facility in El Centro,
California and the Air Force Auxillary Air Field in Gila Bend, Arizona. He will return to the U.K. for Christmas and could
receive his first posting to the front line in Afghanistan in January 2012. The Queen reported to being "overwhelmingly
supportive" in his decision and the Top Brass happy to deploy him. This will mean he being in the direct line of the
Taliban's line of fire but this is what he wants, to be in the thick of things but knowing that prince or not they will
endeavour to shoot him down.
Harry himself has said " I am who I am and I'm not going to change because I'm being criticised by the press. I'm
always going to have a childish streak, what does everyone expect me to be? " Channeling Diana the answer to that
echoes what he says "Just to be himself!" as Diana enjoyed being a "Free - Spirit" in life and given a choice, as Diana
said a long time ago, he'd live somewhere in Africa and never be seen again... but this a choice that is denied him
being the younger son of "H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales".
Christian.
" Hello Everyone
I agree with Christian, for goodness sake leave him alone ! He's a young man out having fun
when not fully involved in an extensive military training. He is not causing harm to anyone at all in having fun with
personal friends of his at a nightclub and takes his charity work very seriously as I did; like Mother, like son and very
much so in Harry's case. He is so like me in every way except he hasn't dated married partners whilst they've been
married and Harry a word of advice from Mummy .. Don't or the Media will have even more of a field day with you,
something you really don't need. I in fact hope you and Chelsy unite as she grounds you and I think perfectly
compliments you though I do appreciate that whilst you are involved within the Military, it is perhaps better for both of
you to remain somewhat low key; at least for the time being but hopefully neither of you will give up on each other !
I would also like to say how incredibly brave you are in your decision to serve in Afghanistan
and how enormously proud I am of you in making this decision which as a decision made by you I too fully support
though loving you so very much Harry not one that I would encourage you making knowing how special you are and
particularly to Papa and William."
With love from,
Diana xx / Mummy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date posted: 9/19/11
Harry honours his mother's legacy on the anniversary of her death 09/01/2011
Prince Harry gave a speech as patron of the Wellchild charity congratulating the winners, the children and those
involved in their care. Harry who is patron of the charity made the appearance on the fourteenth anniversary of the
death of his mother, Diana Princess of Wales. Harry didn't mention the significance of the date. There was no need for
him to do so. By making time for severely ill youngsters on the 14th anniversary of his beloved mother's death, Harry
showed that on this day more than any other he hopes to make her proud. Just as Diana did so often when she took her
boys to meet the sick or needy, her son crouched down, holding the hand of a severely disabled child while chatting to
her little sister about the challenges of caring for her.
Harry also presented the "best brave child" prizes to Harley Lane, six, and Sophie Cooper, five. Harley, from Stockport,
had to have his arms and legs amputated after being infected with life-threatening meningococcal septicaemia. Sophie,
from Lincoln, was born prematurely and suffers from cerebral palsy, a cause close to the late Princess' heart.
Diana was recognised with the 1995 United Cerebral Palsy Humanitarian Award for raising awareness about the
condition.
In a speech at the end of the ceremony, the second in line to the thrown described the experience as "humbling".
"I feel in awe of individuals with such determination, resolve and strength to take on the challenges they face from such
a young age," he said.
"It is equally heart-warming to meet those who dedicate themselves to caring for these remarkable children and young
people, and hear all that they do to make their lives the very best they can be. Your example is an inspiration to
everybody.
"I have seen at first-hand the impact this wonderful charity can have on people's lives.
"The stories we have heard tonight are just the tip of the iceberg."
Date posted: 9/21/11
Diana and the Private Eye
Published: 6 /28 / 2011
An exclusive interview with author and Private Detective Richard McDonough who has written a book about Princess
Diana called "A Cincinnati Private Eye Protecting Princess Diana: A Fascinating Footnote In History" The book
available from Amazon $10.68 It is a true and fascinating story in which Richard gives an amazing incite into Diana's
caring personality, and of how she went to extraordinary lengths to help a close friend, and of how he came to meet and
help the 'People's Princess'
Interviewer : "Mr. McDonough can you tell us about yourself?"
Richard : I am a licensed Private Detective by the state of Ohio USA. Have been in this business with the Shamus
Agency since 1971, but even before this, I was in the investigative field working for other firms. After being discharged
from military service at age 21, I immediately started pursuing this career and started out learning the insurance
investigation business for a number of years. I then left and worked as a bail bondsmen. Searching, finding and bringing
back to jail, those individuals that were wanted for various crimes, both misdemeanors and felonies. I did this for almost
3 years.
This job was somewhat dangerous and had no real future, other than being hurt really bad or even killed. I then became
an insurance investigator / claims adjuster for several large multiple line insurance companies, doing a variety of
investigations. Primarily suspicious death cases. I worked in this field for several years, then decided to open my own
business. I then formed the Shamus Private Detective Agency, operating out of Cincinnati,Ohio. Here we handled all
lines of investigation, including personal protection (body guarding) for executives, companies and political candidates
and of course the general public when called upon with that need.
I trained through the “E.S.I.” Executive Security Internationale, out of Aspen Colorado as a protection agent (body
guard). ESI, a long time training facility providing body guards, special security and soldier’s of fortune (so to speak) for
most foreign countries for heads of state, King, Queens and other royalty and other high ranking dignitaries, as well as
American executives traveling abroad in hostile area’s. Here we were taught and trained extensively in the art of self
defense, in all aspects and phases to the point of high proficiency to protect our principal assigned to us.
Currently, I am still the owner and operator of the Shamus Detective Agency handling pretty much the same line of
cases, but now with heavy emphasis on “infidelity & Cheating” and child custody situations. Wrongful taking or
kidnapping.
Interviewer : "Tell us about your really amazing story and how you came to meet Princess Diana."
Richard : One early morning in the fall of 1993, I had returned to my office after working an all nighter stake out at a
local downtown Cincinnati hotel, and a cheating spouse. While sitting at my desk, drinking a luke warm cup of coffee my
office phone rang. In answering, I heard a very soft, delicate sounding women’s voice, speaking with what I thought to
be an English accent, telling me –
“Hello, this is Princess Diana of Wales” and I have an assignment I would like speak to you about if we could meet and
discuss it further.
“Well. . .. taking into to consideration in this very early morning call - that I am very tired, worked all night, and couldn’t
really hear the caller very well. She spoke a little to fast and her accent threw me a little.
I must admit, at first I thought this was a “prank” caller. . .someone just trying to get my goat, so to speak. Or just a nut
case, which we in this business frequently get a fair amount of this type of caller, and I felt this was just an out and out
“bullshit” caller, but I didn’t hang up like I normally do. This time, I was very cordial and asked the caller. . . . “would
you please repeat what you just said, mam”- as I didn’t quite understand you?
The caller, was very polite and dignified, and this time she said it again – “This is Princess Diana of Wales” and I need to
have a consultation with you right away on a very important matter."
This time I heard her loud and clear!"
So, this was how I initially met with Princess Diana. Her personal call to me at my office, of which I still had reservations
about as to her authenticity but I continued to talk to her and set up an appointment to meet to discuss it all .
Interviewer : “Where you surprised when Diana first contacted you?”
Richard : “You bet - Not only was I surprised,” I didn’t believe she was a legitimate caller, as I previously mention here
in this letter. I almost hung up on her several times – but something in the tone and manner of her voice kept metalking
to her. I mean, hell. . .how many times does some one call and the first thing out of their mouth is, “ Hi – I’m Princess
Diana of Wales?”
Normally I would reply with something like yeah . . .and this is “Sherlock Holmes,” or something to this effect sort of
retaliating with “I don’t believe you!” But as I said for some reason, I suppose I kinda believed the caller – or maybe I
just wanted to! To answer your question, I sure was surprised and shocked with disbelief!"
Interviewer : “What were your first impressions upon meeting Diana?”
Richard : “One of total disbelief at first, that this was happening – and at that very first moment of seeing her, face to
face under the circumstances, I was torn with “ my God – it’s her!” ( Based on my recall of her pictures I’d seen.)
Let’s face it, I had never ever met or even seen Princess Diana, other than in magazines or a few times on the tube. . . but
at that moment, she hit me as being very, very real.
A vibrant beauty with a lovely smiling charm as she introduced herself saying to me – “Hi, you're Mac?”
“As she reached her hand out to me, to shake it, I really felt it was her, – even though she was dressed down at that
meeting, wearing jeans, white gym shoes a sweater trimmed in red piping around it, and wearing a baggy beret cocked to
one side of her head , she hit me as the epitome of a classy woman. And especially the captivating fragrance of her being
- as she quite surprisingly briefly hugged me, a hug I will never forget!
Interviewer : “ Were you impressed by how Diana risked her life to help her Close friend?
Richard : “Not only was I impressed, but I continuously wrestled with the WHY!” Now I do have some very best friends
that I would go the mile for under normal conditions.
But here we have a Princess, Royalty and a lovely young women at a point in her life in which she was about to become
divorced, lose a part of her position in the family of Royalty and in the eyes of her public.
And she was really under the “gun” so to speak at that point – yet risking where she was in life –
Diana, never looked at this as a normal helping of a friend out! The closeness was far more than “just” an enduring
friendship. This was very important, high priority and in no way would the word “Just” be considered.
Interviewer : “ How did it feel to be able to assist her in this secret and maybe dangerous case?”
Richard : Of course the mere thought of being picked to help and work with Di and her friend, was a total vote of
confidence in me and my ability, both from an investigational stand point of capability and as well – a trust she had in
me to know I would be there for her and her friend, ‘should the chips fall.’ No matter what. I would take all risk’s in
keeping her and her friend out of harms-way. She had confident vibes and history that my past record and training
would provided her a peace of mind in her safety in this venture.
I mean, let’s face it. I’m a lone private eye, and have been for a number of years, because that’s the way I wanted it.
Although at one time I had over 12 agents in my agency. The secrecy of this operation was paramount to Diana.
There are many larger security companies with hundreds of personnel, with a following for executive protection and
security, that she could have had work with her. Unfortunately, when you have a large agency, and a lot of personnel
knowing what the operation is, you also have a far better chance of a leak, or just someone bullshitting and boasting
about the case But as I understood it, I was picked for a variety of reasons. This operation had to be kept absolutely low
key. And very secret, or she would have been stopped before it got started, don’t forget Diana was in the process of her
divorce and had been more or less separated from Prince Charles over a year and a half at the time she came to
Cincinnati.
Diana was very careful to choose and keep only her closest friends and contacts to help her in setting the operation up.
And even keeping her own special servant Paul Burrell from knowing the total extent of what she was doing – telling him
only what he needed to keep her MIA reasons from the media, family and other security. The fact that I was a small
agency was better for Diana’s plans. We all know when you get in situations where a lot personnel know what you are
doing, that the risk of the compromising the operation is much greater, and this was her theory.
After her source more or less checked me out as far as my experience and ability, she felt confident that the secret
operation would have a much better chance with fewer people knowing. Don’t forget she also had the little problem of
sneaking out of England to get to Cincinnati undiscovered. Royalty, her normal security and the media’s had to be kept
in total darkness, and it was.
Interviewer : "Were you nervous about having Diana’s safety totally in your hands, so to speak?"
Richard : I sure was – in reading the book, you will note where I was constantly asking Diana, to get out of my vehicle
for a short time, while I was pursuing
vehicles at high speeds, and was always told , No and to go after them.
On more than one occasions I pleaded to Diana, not to go in my vehicle on certain operations, and her answer to me on
more times than not was simply
“No –way Jose!”
I even told her if she got hurt or worse while in my pursuit vehicle, I would probably be sent to the UK by America, and
allow them to hang me from the “yard arm, so to speak!”
She always just laughed and said, "Mac you worry to much", and then off we would go.
Interviewer : "Was it difficult keeping your story secret for so many years?"
Richard : “Absolutely – no doubt about it.” But when Diana first hired me, she made me promise never to tell, or
convey who her friend was that she referred to as Juli. I’m not sure if that was even her real name.
And of course I agreed with her and honored that promise. I did ask Diana at one point in time, could I ever talk about
our connection and she laughed and said, yes of course - but give it some time, at least ten years or so, and I agreed.
And yes, it was difficult not telling the story, my brother Jerry and I were the only ones that new, and he was my other
agent and with us the entire time. He nor I ever told or wives or any one else.
This is a confidential business and I have always given my clients the comfort in knowing, “what they did and said at
Shamus – stays with Shamus”, just like the casino’s. After so many years past, I didn’t really think about it much, unless
something cropped up, that made me remember it. Then one day, I realized this is a part of history and to some degree,
I was a part of that history in a small way and very proud to have been involved with Princess Diana in this venture.
And then I felt – it’s been long enough, I want the world to know what happened and what Diana did for her friend - and
tht I was chosen to help her.
And really, no other reason! I just wanted to tell the story, so her friends , family, royalty and the rest of the world
would know even more good things about this great women – I’m not here to prove anything!
Interviewer : "What made you decide to write your book about the story?"
Richard : I more or less described the answer to this question earlier. But as well, I want to write one more book about
Princess Diana and myself, with regard to a very special and unforgettable relationship that seemed as though it lasted a
life time . . . . yet cemented and formed in a time span far to short, and this memory will only end when I do!
Interviewer :" In your opinion does your book show a side to Diana the media hasn’t seen before?"
Richard : Most definitely – in my opinion the side that I experienced in our very brief relationship, reflected a side that
there was no way, the media could gain a picture of what Diana really was thinking or was like.
Most media’s never even got to talk to her, no conversations no statements, no nothing – only what they saw her doing
and who it was with.
Diana seemed to be at peace with herself and her thoughts, as just the two of us rode in our pursuit vehicles all those
days. while pondering her thoughts and engaging in long detailed conversations for hours and hours, saying exactly
what she really felt about her life and those close to her, and everything around her. In our long conversations as we
continued driving for days searching and sitting for long durations watching our subject, the manner and trust that
seemed to grow stronger and stronger in each conversation was now very honest and open of things Diana started
talking to me about.
Once in a while she would look at me and say – "My life is already in your hands, and I trust you and your ability, who
else could I ever tell my real feelings to?". And then she would adorn me with her great smile and continue on talking.
And I know from things she talked about – “that here is a women, who is in the midst of the world continually, but
emotionally feels alone,” yet hungry for life but seemed lost.
Interviewer : "It's Diana’s 50th birthday this week, what do you think she would have been like now?"
Richard : In my personal opinion, and from some of the things she talked to me about I feel she would have looked
more devastatingly beautiful now, than ever! I noticed after her separation and divorce, from some of her old pictures
in that period of time how much she changed, and grew into a real women. The 50th is only a number – who and what
she was just brought her to a new point in life.
I do think from what I know of her, and the many, many things we talked about, that she would still be a single women
today enjoying her life and the company of any man she would ever desire. She would have never married Dodi.
She did say, that after her marriage experience she probably would never marry again, she said she wants to be in
charge of her own life. And what she wanted to do with it.
Interviewer : "Do you think people will always have a fascination with Diana?"
Richard : Look at the people that are still fascinated with her for the past 18 years. She was one of kind, and the world
knows that. In my personal view of her, that is an absolute yes. She will always be the fascinating woman she was, and I
will never forget her !
Interviewer : Thank you Richard
Date posted: 9/22/11
To Those Who Knew Diana's Driver, His Actions Are an Unsettling Puzzle
By CRAIG R. WHITNEY with YOUSSEF M. IBRAHIM
Published: September 21, 1997
PARIS, FRANCE Sept. 20 1997 Henri Paul, the man who died behind the wheel in the crash that killed Diana, Princess
of Wales, and her escort three weeks ago, was buried this morning, leaving his family and friends still perplexed by
official findings that he drank heavily and took antidepressant drugs before the accident.
Mr. Paul's job that night, as the Ritz Hotel's acting security director, was to protect two of the most important charges
ever entrusted to him: the Princess and her escort, Emad (Dodi) Mohamed al-Fayed, the son of the hotel's owner,
Mohamed al-Fayed, who also owns the Harrods department store in London.
Nothing in the life of Mr. Paul, a 41-year-old bachelor from Brittany, explains why he would ignore those
responsibilities and take heavily to the bottle, say those who knew him.
A romantic relationship had broken up two years ago, but he had gotten over it, they say. His lifelong passion was
flying, and he had passed a demanding physical for his pilot's license two days earlier. Playing tennis with his closest
friend in Paris on that last morning, he declined their usual post-game beer, saying he had to go to the airport with
another driver to pick up Diana and her escort.
The security cameras at the Ritz bar that he himself monitored to discourage other employees from tippling did not
show him drinking during his last hours there, say officials of the London-based corporation that owns the Ritz,
contradicting press reports.
Yet French prosecutors said that his body showed a blood alcohol level of between 0.173 and 0.187 percent after the
accident at 12:25 A.M. Sunday, Aug. 31 -- more than three times the legal driving limit. Lawyers for the Fayed family
were so surprised by the results of the first two tests that they insisted on a third, which also revealed traces of drugs
used for treating depression.
The alcohol level in Mr. Paul's blood indicated that he had consumed about 10 drinks. The third set of tests was
conducted in such a way to make certain that any possible contamination of earlier results was avoided.
''He was not an alcoholic,'' said Dominique Melo, a psychology teacher at the University of Rennes and a friend of Mr.
Paul's for 25 years. Mr. Melo has been trying to shield Mr. Paul's family from publicity portraying him as a dissolute
drinker.
''I never had any hesitancy about getting into his car with him at the end of a dinner,'' Mr. Melo said in a telephone
interview. ''What happened is just incomprehensible to all of us.''
Lawyers who have heard this sort of thing before say that Mr. Paul's friends could be covering for him. And the Ritz
management, which could be held responsible for criminal negligence for putting him behind the wheel while he was
drunk and without a required limousine chauffeur's license, has every reason to deny knowledge that he was drinking
on duty.
A report in the daily Le Monde this week quoted colleagues at the Ritz saying that Mr. Paul had taken to heavy
drinking and tranquilizers after the breakup in 1995 of a long relationship with Laurence Pujol, said to be a former
secretary at the hotel.
''They were never engaged, and he took the breakup the way anybody would,'' Mr. Melo said, denying that Mr. Paul
seemed under any unusual stress.
More recently, restaurateurs and bar owners in Mr. Paul's neighborhood saw him dining with another young woman.
Attempts to further identify or reach either woman were unsuccessful.
Mysterious Events Baffled Neighbors
Mr. Paul, it is clear, was a regular visitor to the many cafes and bars in his neighborhood between the Ritz and the
Palais Royal in the heart of Paris. Still, for many of those who knew him, his death leaves a mystery.
He reportedly kept a motorcycle at his parents' house in Brittany, where his funeral was held today in the port city of
Lorient. But his own car in Paris was a poky black Austin Mini with automatic transmission.
The Fayeds' lawyers still insist that without photographers in pursuit there would have been no crash, and two French
investigating judges are trying to determine whether photographers may have led Mr. Paul to lose control. The
Mercedes S280 he was driving smashed head on into a support pillar in a tunnel under the Place de l'Alma
Only a British bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, 29, survived, and the investigating judges interrogated him on Friday,
but officials said he apparently had no memory of the crash. Some other witnesses have described a slow-moving
black car in front of the limousine that disappeared after the accident.
Mr. Paul showed no obvious signs of inebriation, officials at the Ritz said, when he took the wheel at 12:20 A.M., a
substitute for the regular driver in a maneuver to throw photographers off Diana's trail.
But the hotel, the Fayeds and friends like Mr. Melo eventually concluded that they had to accept the results of the
blood tests.
''I don't think we can realistically dispute it,'' Mr. Melo said in a telephone interview. ''Who knows how it came to be.
Maybe he hadn't eaten anything that night, maybe the drugs complicated the effect of a few glasses of wine.''
Aviation Training And Video Monitors
On that last day, Claude Garrec, perhaps Mr. Paul's closest friend in Paris, played tennis with him at a club in
suburban Issy-les-Moulineaux. Mr. Paul told him that he was expecting Diana and Mr. Fayed to fly in from Sardinia to
Le Bourget Airport, north of Paris, after 3 P.M., Mr. Garrec told the daily Le Parisien.
So, Mr. Garrec said, he and Mr. Paul did not have their usual after-tennis beer in Le Pelican, a bar near Mr. Paul's
fifth-floor walkup apartment in a rundown building on the rue des Petits-Champs. ''All he had was a couple of Cokes,''
Mr. Garrec said.
Mr. Melo said that Mr. Paul had passed his annual pilot's physical, with no evidence of a problem like alcoholism, on
Aug. 28. ''He has been flying planes since the 1970's,'' Mr. Melo said, and was qualified for flying in conditions of low
visibility.
''Believe me,'' Mr. Garrec said, ''these aren't the sort of things you can do if you're an alcoholic.''
Mr. Paul met Diana and Mr. Fayed at Le Bourget and followed their limousine into town in a Land Rover with their
baggage, with photographers dogging the convoy, ending up at the Ritz around 4 P.M.
Officials of the corporation that owns the Ritz say that the hotel's security cameras did not show Mr. Paul drinking at
the hotel bar in the next three hours.
Shortly after 7 P.M., by all accounts, Mr. Paul was told he could have the night off. By whom or why is not clear.
Another employee, named in French press reports as Philippe Dourneau, took the Princess and Mr. Fayed off for
dinner at Benoit, a fashionable bistro. Mr. Paul left the premises. But Mr. Dourneau, unable to shake the paparazzi,
took the couple back to dine at the Ritz.
Mr. Paul's whereabouts from 7 until 9:45 P.M., when the Ritz management called him on his portable telephone and
asked him to return, are unknown.
He was not in Le Bourgogne, a cafe in his neighborhood where a waitress said he often came but never had more
than a glass or two of pastis, a licorice-flavored liqueur served mixed with water.
He was not in his favorite restaurant, the Grand Colbert, where he and the blond woman in her 20's often came for
dinner.
''She would sometimes have a glass of Champagne,'' a manager said, ''but he would never have more than a beer
and glass of Vittel mineral water.''
He probably was not nearby in Harry's Bar, to the knowledge of any of the staff there, said the owner-manager,
Duncan MacElhone, who said Mr. Paul was not a regular customer.
Perhaps Mr. Paul was at home, where newspaper reports said the police found a bottle of white vermouth, three-
quarters empty, and an unopened bottle of Champagne in the refrigerator after his death.
He was seen at 9:45 by the owner of a nightspot called La Champmesle on the rue Chabanais, a stone's throw from
Mr. Paul's building, by a woman who would give her name only as Josy and who described the establishment as a
lesbian bar.
''His car was parked on the street, just opposite the entrance,'' she said. ''He had his keys in his hand, and he waved
to us, 'Good evening, girls, see you later,' as if he planned to drop in for a beer after he finished work. I've known him
for several years, and I've been tending bar for 25, and I can tell when somebody's drunk. He wasn't.''
He drove to the underground garage in front of the Ritz, parking about 10 P.M.
And he went back into the hotel, where nobody noticed his inebriated state and nobody, according to the hotel, saw
him drinking.
''I never saw the guy drink anything,'' said Kes Wingfield, a British bodyguard employed by the Fayed family who had
accompanied the couple on their flight from Sardinia.
French newspaper accounts, quoting anonymous sources, say he had one or two pastis or whiskies in the Ritz
between 10 P.M. and midnight.
At one point, said a lawyer for one of the photographers, Mr. Paul came out and bantered with them, saying
something like ''You won't catch us tonight.'' The challenge led some of the paparazzi to stake out the back entrance,
where they picked up the chase while Mr. Dourneau drove off in another sedan from the front.
Protecting Safety Of Rich and Famous
A balding, stocky, taciturn man who wore glasses, Mr. Paul gave an impression of distance and seriousness, friends
and acquaintances said.
He was born on July 3, 1956, in the Atlantic Coast city of Lorient, one of five sons of a municipal employee and a
schoolteacher. He went to the Lycee Saint-Louis there through the baccalaureat level, the diploma required to pursue
university studies, with a concentration in science.
Henri Paul did not go on to college, for, his friends say, his passion was flying. Mr. Paul got his first license at a flying
club in Vannes in 1974, Mr. Melo said. In 1978, he chose to do his obligatory year of military service in the French Air
Force -- but as an ordinary enlisted man doing security, not flying, at the air base in Rochefort, the army says.
He came to Paris in 1985 and made a living selling recreational watercraft, a business that often took him close to the
Ritz, where in 1986 he learned there was an opening in the security department. There, he was promoted to assistant
director, in charge of 20 guards. Much of the job consisted of monitoring surveillance cameras, dealing with petty
thieves and pickpockets and occasionally with deadbeats. The Ritz said it also put him through a training course for
drivers offered by Mercedes-Benz.
For Josy, at the bar down the street from Mr. Paul's home, the truth may never be known. ''Some things I think will
always be concealed from us,'' she said with a wave of her cigarette.
The Fayed family continues to have doubts about the reliability of the blood tests, and his parents decided not to
cremate his body in case yet another test needs to be done Henri Paul was buried in the port city of Lorient in
Brittany, France.
