Princess Diana could've been saved if not for three mistakes by security team, claims bodyguard

LONDON, UK: Princess Diana’s bodyguard revealed three mistakes by the late royal’s personal protection team that led to her death. 

Ken Wharfe, who served as the Princess of Wales’s personal protection officer from 1988 to 1993, revealed the three fatal mistakes that led to Princess Diana’s demise on August 31, 1997. 

Per Radar Online, Wharfe also claimed that those three mistakes could have easily been avoided.

Princess Diana’s bodyguard reveals three mistakes that led to her death

To start with, Ken Wharfe suggested that the accident could have been averted had Ritz security chief Henri Paul not been intoxicated while driving the car, per RadarOnline.

"The one thing that would have saved Diana's life that night would have been if they'd kicked out the chauffeur and for Rees-Jones to have driven,” commented Wharfe to The Sun. 

On that fateful car journey, Diana, who was 36 then, was traveling with Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, 42, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, and Paul. Reese-Jones was the sole survivor in the ghastly crash. 

Wharfe said that though Reese-Jones’s taking the wheel could have saved the princess’s life, he “couldn’t” have taken the call. 

The former security-turned-commentator said that Reese-Jones was placed at the “bottom of the pyramid,” and the power dynamics made it "very difficult for him to say to others what you should do and what you shouldn't do."

"And that's a shame, because had Rees-Jones taken that command, had he taken that decision to boot out Henri Paul, you and I would not be having this discussion,” added the former security.

During his talk, Wharfe indicated that Princess Diana’s personal team might have made the mistake of alienating local police along with harboring animosity for the media. 

He further said, "The security also failed because of their inexperience to involve the local police, to have a relationship with the assembled paparazzi.”

"You cannot treat the paparazzi or the media as an enemy - that doesn't work,” cautioned Wharfe. 

Wharfe recalled that he befriended the media when Diana was under his protection. 

The retired officer blamed the princess’ protection team, saying, "And so that was the failure of the Fayed security. And that's a tragedy."

Wharfe said that the third mistake that cost Diana’s life was the decision to forego the entire Scotland Yard security for the late royal. 

The former guard said after Diana’s split with King Charles in 1992, she decided to axe her security to start her “new life.”

However, Wharfe said that it was not only her fault but the royal family’s complacency about her security that led to the tragedy. 

"Had the Queen insisted that Diana retain her Scotland Yard security, Diana would have accepted it," said Wharfe.

Ken Wharfe had a discussion with Diana before her death

Ken Wharfe said that he had a personal chat with Princess Diana regarding her security where he tried to dissuade her from leaving the Scotland Yard security altogether. 

Recalling the time when Diana asked his advice for her security, Wharfe said, "I said look, I don't know what you're going to do, where you're going to go. But you're going to need us (Scotland Yard). Even if you change your sex, you will always be Diana, Princess of Wales."

"So I said I urge you, I urge you, not to lose the Scotland Yard security because we have given you that freedom, we've broken rules to allow you to have the normality that you crave for, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue, even with me gone,” said the esteemed guard. 

However, he could not change destiny with Diana abandoning the entire security four weeks later.