Prince should be quizzed over Di death letter, says Stalker

THE Prince of Wales should be interviewed by police over a letter in which the late Princess of Wales claimed he was plotting to kill her, ex-deputy chief constable John Stalker said yesterday.

The former senior police officer said the heir to the throne ought to be given the chance to deny the claim, as part of Sir John Stevens' inquiries into the deaths of Diana and boyfriend Dodi Fayed.

Royal coroner Michael Burgess has asked the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John to investigate speculation surrounding the crash which killed the couple in 1997.

Mr Stalker conducted an investigation into the French inquiry, which blamed the drunk and drugged driver Henri Paul. He has dismissed conspiracy theories and maintains the deaths were a tragic accident.

"I believe Sir John should interview Prince Charles," he told PA News. "It will be unprecedented, but it's an allegation by his former wife that he was planning to kill her.

"It's an allegation of crime conspiracy to murder.

"It is in everybody's interest that Sir John should put the allegation to Prince Charles so that he can formally deny it."

Diana expressed her fears that her husband was planning "'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury" in a letter to her then-butler Paul Burrell.

The investigation by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner into the endless theories surrounding the car crash was announced as the inquests in the deaths of Diana and Dodi were opened and adjourned on Tuesday.

Mr Stalker, former deputy-Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, welcomed the decision but warned Sir John's investigation could take more than 18 months.

"It will be a long, long, investigation. I can see it going on well past the eighth anniversary of the deaths.

"The French system works at a very slow pace. It can only go at the speed of diplomacy and the Foreign Office will take the lead role.

"He'll get co-operation but it's going to be a long job."

He welcomed the decision: "It's absolutely quite right that a British eye is cast on it. There's nobody better equipped to do that than the Met.

Mr Stalker warned that the fact it was more than six years since the deaths would be likely to hinder Sir John's inquiries.