Critics have dismissed claims that the British military murdered Princess Diana as a “mystifying stunt” based on “nonsense” evidence from a “loose cannon” military man, a report has said.
According to Mail Online, royal bodyguards have brushed off accusations that the Diana’s death 16 years ago in Paris was carried out by British special forces who then “covered it up”.
Scotland Yard has confirmed that officers from its specialist crime and operations command are assessing information handed to it “recently” by the Royal Military Police.
The princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were killed on August 31, 1997, along with their driver, Henri Paul, when the Mercedes-Benz he was driving crashed in a Paris underpass as it was being pursued by photographers.
An inquest in 2008 found that Diana and Al Fayed were unlawfully killed due to the “gross negligence” of Paul, a security manager at the Paris Ritz Hotel, who had been drinking.
On Sunday reports said the new allegation that Diana had been murdered came from the estranged parents-in-law of a member of Britain's special forces, who gave evidence in the trial this year of Danny Nightingale, an SAS soldier convicted of illegally possessing a weapon.
The man said to be the source of the allegations, known only as “Soldier N” in the trial, was himself convicted of illegal weapons possession.
The newspaper reported that his estranged wife's parents wrote to the SAS's commanding officer claiming the soldier had told his wife that the unit had “arranged” Diana's death and that this had been “covered up”.
But experts say that the evidence is flimsy and from a “loose cannon” military man.
Ken Wharfe, who was Diana's Scotland Yard bodyguard told the Daily Telegraph: “If these parents were so concerned that this information was relevant or had some general import, then they should have delivered it to the inquest.
“Why has it taken so long to air this new information? It seems so shallow to me. I just think it's a bit of a publicity stunt. For what reason I'm not certain, but in the absence of any real evidence, I'm sure this will go away.”
Colonel Tim Collins, a former SAS officer, added: “It's utter nonsense. This is just wishful thinking on the part of somebody.”
Dai Davies, who was in charge of royal protection when Diana died said: “I'm mystified... how any new information can possibly allege anything other than (that) this was a tragic accident.”
Mail Online reports that as well as hiding weapons in his house, in a “reign or terror' on his family, Soldier N allegedly attacked his son after mistaking him for the Taliban.
His children were also allegedly driven around in the boot of his Land Rover and his son hung nearly 10 metres above the ground in a tree.
Evidence which emerged at the weekend revealed that Soldier N is also accused of saying he could enlist the help of his colleagues to ensure his wife – the mother of his two children – would “disappear”, Mail Online reports.
Sergeant Nightingale, 38, was found guilty last month of illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition at a Hereford house he shared with Soldier N.
Soldier N, who is serving a custodial sentence for possessing firearms at the same address, was originally reported to the police by his wife, from whom he is now separated.
The letter was sent to Soldier N’s commanding officer in September 2011 and passed to the Service Prosecuting Authority before the start of the Nightingale trial.
All references to the SAS were removed by the SPA.
The paragraph referring to the death of Diana says: “He also told her (his wife) that it was the XXX who arranged Princess Diana’s death and that has been covered up.”
The letter says Soldier N told his wife there is a “box which members of his unit use for private jobs”.
“They put in the box the name, address and details of what they want done and then one of them who wants to earn extra money does that job.”
When Soldier N was challenged by his mother-in-law, he is accused of saying: “Let me stop you right there – I kill women and I kill children.”
Henri Paul's mother Gisele reportedly said she believed her son was murdered together with Diana and Al Fayed when the Mercedes he was driving crashed in an underpass.
“We know in our hearts that our son was murdered and we still live with the hope that one day the truth will be known.”
The new information was also welcomed by Dodi’s father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who also insists the couple were murdered. He said he trusted that police would investigate the new claims “with vigour:.
A spokesman said there would be no comment from the royal family. - IOL