The Bodyguard's Story

I remember the day Princess Diana died. I was young – probably only 10 or 11 – but I watched the television reports about the car crash that killed her along with the rest of the world. As I was only a child at the time, I didn’t follow the story after the initial announcements. Therefore, I was reading about the events after the crash for the first time when I picked up a copy of The Bodyguard’s Story earlier this month.

The author – Trevor Rees-Jones – was the bodyguard of Dodi Fayed, the son of Mohamed Al Fayed, the owner of Harrods (until recently... he just retired). Rees-Jones’ life, and job description, changed dramatically the summer of 1997. He discovered that he would be protecting not only Dodi, but the Princess of Wales and the two Princes when they joined the Fayed family for a vacation in St-Tropez in July. It was the first of many occasions that Princess Diana boarded the Fayed yacht - the Jonikal - but it was this first vacation that solidified the future.

Rees-Jones had a front row seat to the relationship that formed between Diana and Dodi. He was present during their first meeting aboard the Jonikal, and was a passenger in the Mercedes on August 31, 1997, when everyone in the car except him was killed.

Along with quotes from other bodyguards assigned to the Fayed family, Rees-Jones used his book to explain what he saw, what he did, and what he believed actually happened between Diana and Dodi as their relationship progressed. He also used the book to dispel the myth that the couple went shopping for an engagement ring at Repossi Jewellers in St-Tropez.

Unfortunately, after recovering from his life-threatening injuries, Rees-Jones couldn’t remember anything about the final moments of the crash.

This is where the book gets really interesting...

To this day, his last memory is of leaving Hotel Ritz in Paris with Henri Paul driving and Diana and Dodi in the back of the Mercedes. He knows they were trying to get away from the mass of paparazzi that followed them everywhere, but what actually caused the crash is still unknown. A recent inquest determined Henri Paul was legally intoxicated, a point that Rees-Jones confirmed in his book. But, if any other factors contributed to the devastating accident, we will never know what they were.

The Pont de l’Alma tunnel was the scene of the crash. The Mercedes slammed into the 13th pillar, spun, and finally stopped facing oncoming traffic. I drove through this tunnel when I was in Paris last summer, and I can understand how a fatal accident could occur. The Liberty Flame statue on the bridge above the tunnel has become a makeshift memorial for Diana. It was initially erected to reflect the friendship between France and the United States. When you’re standing, looking at the flame, the Eiffel Tower is clearly visible in the background.

It's a beautiful area of the city, which makes the deaths all the more tragic. Diana and Dodi had only meant to spend one night in Paris. The following day, they were travelling elsewhere. They were also only three minutes away from their final destination - Dodi’s apartment on Champs Elysses.

I have only touched on a few aspects of the book, because so many things happened after the accident. Blame was passed between parties, conspiracy theories surfaced, and people wanted someone to be indicted and prosecuted for the crash. Rees-Jones found himself stuck in the middle of an ugly situation, and his problems were only compounded by the fact that he couldn’t remember anything about the final moments in the car.

I won’t give away everything, and I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the topic. The story of Diana, the “People’s Princess,” is both tragic and complex, and I believe it’s difficult to fully grasp the enormity of the situation without reading Rees-Jones account of events.

With that being said, keep in mind that this book is one account of what happened. If I have learned anything in journalism class, I’ve learned that the truth is usually somewhere in between everyone’s perspectives. I’m not saying that I don’t believe Rees-Jones, because I do, but I won’t ignore everyone else. I was on the Internet countless times as I read this book, checking information and verifying quotes. I believe you should too.