Princess Diana: The Drunk Driver Who Ended Her Life

Princess Diana and her lover Dodi Al-Fayed spent their final moments being driven to a brutal death by a chauffeur who was a hopeless alcoholic!

Henri Paul (with bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones at left) was even drunk when he arrived at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to pick up Diana and Dodi after their final romantic dinner together. "Henri was a habitual drunk," confirmed his close friend Marcel Turgot — adding: "We drank together that fatal night. Henri, drunk again, killed Di and Dodi!"

Blood tests later showed that Henri — who also died in the crash — had drank the equivalent of nine shots of whisky! In a tragic twist, Henri's alcoholism was reportedly no secret to his employers at the Ritz, where he was the No. 2 man in the security office.

Insiders reported that Henri had gone off-duty at 7:30 pm on the night of August 31, 1997 — but was called back after Diana and Dodi had enjoyed a very special evening. "He appeared excited, agitated, and apparently drunk" when he returned to the Ritz at 10:16 pm, according to a hotel employee.

"Everyone knew at the hotel that Henri had been drinking on a Saturday night," said the employee — adding: "Everyone knew that he boozed when he wasn't working." But the insider added that Henri also didn't dare turn down Dodi's call to return to the hotel.

"When the Fayeds are there," said the employee, "you do not say no. Whatever they ask for, no one dares say no. As for Henri Paul, he was a bit too sure of himself!"