Not Henri Paul’s job to drive Diana

THE man who drove Diana, Princess of Wales, and her lover, Dodi Fayed, on the journey on which they were killed knew he should not have been at the wheel, a court heard yesterday.

Henri Paul, acting head of security at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, was reminded moments before setting off it was not his job to drive the couple but said nothing, the inquest heard.

Night security manager Francois Tendil said he had seen no sign that his boss, Mr Paul, had been drinking night, although blood tests after the crash showed he was over the drink-drive limit. Mr Tendil told how a plan was devised to evade paparazzi, by driving the couple from the back of the hotel while Mr Fayed’s usual driver, Philippe Dorneau, remained at the front as a decoy.

Mr Tendil said he believed Mr Fayed, Mr Paul and two bodyguards, Trevor Rees and Kes Wingfield, had come up with the plan in discussions, with Mr Fayed playing a key part.

He said he only learned that himself that Mr Paul was to drive just before he set off.

“My reaction was that it was not his duty to do so because we had drivers in the hotel.”

The court heard he would have been able to see photographers from the window of the suite where Mr Fayed and Diana were dining.

He [Fayed] decided at the last minute that Henri Paul could drive the car,” he said. “And the bodyguards did agree.”