Death of Princess Diana. On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, suffered traumatic injuries and later died after the Mercedes-Benz she and her entourage were traveling in struck a concrete pillar. Her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, as well as the driver of the car, Henri Paul, died instantly. Fayed's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the lone survivor. Early on, suspicion fell on the paparazzi for possibly contributing to the accident. Later, MI6 and the the Royal family were also named as suspects by some members of the public who were unwilling to accept the official story. What prompted the driver to drive so recklessly? Was this an accident or is there any truth to the rumors of a conspiracy to kill Diana?