Additional Coverage:
- Princess Diana’s driver recalls ‘strangers bowing to her corpse and climbing on rooftops’ (irishstar.com)
Colin Tebbutt, Princess Diana’s longtime driver, has shared vivid memories of the moments following her tragic death, revealing the intense shock and the efforts he made to maintain her dignity in the hours after the crash.
Tebbutt, who had served the Princess for over two years and affectionately referred to her as “The Boss,” was the first member of staff to arrive from London. Upon hearing the devastating news, he joined Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, on the earliest British Airways flight to Paris. From there, they were taken to the British Embassy.
Reflecting on the experience, Tebbutt, a former Royal Protection officer, told The Sun, “To me, as an ex-police officer, bodies are in mortuaries.” However, when the Consul General asked if he wished to see Diana, he was stunned to find her lying in a hospital bed, her presence still palpable.
Determined to shield her from further distress, Tebbutt quickly acted to prevent visitors from bowing to her in the room, understanding the need for respect without formalities at that moment.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Diana’s passing, Tebbutt recounted how, at Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, he arranged for a French undertaker to prepare her appearance before Prince Charles arrived. “When I returned, she looked 100 percent better,” he said, “but it was one of the hottest days of the year, and the room felt like a furnace.”
Diana’s butler carefully attended to her hair, while Tebbutt noticed onlookers climbing onto nearby rooftops in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Princess. Concerned by the intrusion and the lack of window coverings, he improvised by hanging blankets to block the view.
The heat intensified inside, prompting him to bring in fans. As he switched one on, he was struck by a haunting moment-her hair and eyelashes moved slightly in the breeze.
“For just that moment I thought, ‘My God, she is alive!’” Tebbutt said.
“It was a horrible moment of shock.”
Despite the intense emotions, none of the staff stayed in the room that afternoon, leaving Diana in peace with guards posted outside.
These personal accounts come as Princess Diana’s sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, has recently raised questions about why Diana was not wearing a seatbelt during the fatal car crash in Paris in August 1997. Neither Diana, her partner Dodi Fayed, nor their driver Henri Paul were buckled in at the time, while Diana’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only occupant wearing a seatbelt and the sole survivor, though he sustained serious injuries.
As the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death draws near, these reflections offer a poignant glimpse into the final hours surrounding one of the most mourned figures of recent history.