On what would have been Princess Diana’s 64th birthday, July 1st, the world still remembers the tragic events of August 1997 in Paris that took her life. Twenty-eight years later, public interest in the car crash that also claimed the lives of Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul has not faded—it has, at times, peaked dramatically. One such moment came in 2007, ten years after the tragedy, when the UK’s Channel 4 announced a controversial documentary containing images from the crash site, including a shocking photo of Diana inside the car with her face blurred.
The royal family reacted strongly, fearing the impact such footage could have on the young princes—William and Harry—who were just 25 and 22 at the time. According to journalist Tina Brown’s revealing book *The Palace Papers*, Prince William was so distressed that he asked his private secretary, Jamie Lowder-Pinkerton, to do everything possible to prevent the broadcast.
Despite his efforts, the request went unheeded. The secretary sent a letter to the channel, explaining that showing the images would cause ‘psychological pain to the princes—not only for themselves but also on behalf of their mother—and violate her privacy and dignity in her final moments.’
Channel 4 responded by acknowledging the Palace’s concerns but emphasized there was a ‘legitimate public interest’ in the documentary. Its then-editor, Julian Bellamy, stated: ‘It was not our intention to cause pain to the family, nor do we consider the film disrespectful to the memory of Princess Diana.’
As a concession, the channel agreed to air a separate program discussing the ethics of broadcasting such material and clarified it would show no footage of the victims directly. Despite these assurances, Ofcom received 62 complaints about the content. However, the regulator ruled that Channel 4 had not violated any guidelines, deeming the footage necessary for journalistic credibility, especially since it aired after 9 PM.
One image showed French doctor Frédéric Mailliez—the first medic on the scene—bending into the car to assist Princess Diana, whose face was blurred. Dr. Mailliez, who happened to be nearby returning from a party, was among the first to help the seriously injured princess. Although he didn’t initially recognize her, he later realized he was one of the last people to see her alive.
He described the chaotic scene: ‘Four people in the vehicle, two motionless, not breathing. The other two on the right side were alive but in critical condition. I had to act immediately.’
Although many blamed paparazzi photographers for the crash, Dr. Mailliez did not consider them an obstacle: ‘They didn’t hinder me, I didn’t ask for help, but they didn’t stop me from doing my job either.’
Years later, he still questioned whether he had done enough: ‘Did I do everything I could? Did I perform my job correctly?’ Medical experts and police investigators assured him he had done all that was possible.