Princess Diana’s Ex-Chauffeur Breaks Silence After Nearly Three Decades
“She Would Still Be Alive If I Had Been Driving”
Nearly 28 years after Princess Diana’s tragic d**th, her former chauffeur, Steve Davies, has spoken out with a bold claim: if he had been behind the wheel in Paris that night, Diana would still be alive.
“I’d have taken a b*llet for Diana. My job was my life,” Davies told The Sun. “If life had taken a different path, and I’d been driving her that night, she’d still be here today… because I would’ve kept her safe.”
The Night That Shook the World
On August 31, 1997, Diana, her companion Dodi Fayed, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, and driver Henri Paul left the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Chased by paparazzi, their Mercedes sped through the Pont de l’Alma underpass before crashing into a pillar.
Paul, four times over France’s legal alcohol limit, and Fayed died instantly. Rees-Jones survived with serious injuries, while Diana was rushed to hospital. Despite hours of surgery, she was pronounced d**d at 4 a.m. at only 36 years old.
A later inquest found that both Paul’s reckless driving and the pursuing paparazzi contributed to Diana and Dodi’s unlawful d**ths.
A Dream Job Lost
Davies, a former army man, drove Diana regularly during her royal life. He says he only discovered why he was dismissed years later, while watching Netflix’s The Crown. According to the series, journalist Martin Bashir convinced Diana that Davies had leaked information to the press—claims Davies denies.
“That job was everything to me,” Davies reflected. “I went from the dream position to starting over from scratch.”
Security Warnings Ignored
Former royal protection officer Ken Wharfe also believes Diana’s d**th could have been prevented. He insists her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones should have driven that night.
“The one thing that would have saved Diana’s life would have been if they’d kicked out the chauffeur and Rees-Jones had taken the wheel,” Wharfe said.
Wharfe also pointed to another critical decision: Diana’s choice to dismiss her Scotland Yard security team after separating from Prince Charles. Just weeks before she let them go, Wharfe urged her to reconsider.
“I told her, ‘Don’t lose Scotland Yard security. We’ve broken rules to give you the normality you wanted, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue.’”
Despite the w*rning, Diana dismissed her protection detail only four weeks later. Wharfe believes that had Queen Elizabeth insisted she keep them, Diana would have listened.
A Life Cut Short, Questions That Linger
Almost three decades later, questions about that fateful night remain. But for those who knew and worked with Diana, one thing is certain: small decisions, different choices, or even a familiar face behind the wheel might have changed history forever.
