British inquests into deaths of Diana, Dodi open
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A British inquest has begun into Princess Diana's death six years after her fatal car accident in France.
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's royal coroner opened inquiries Tuesday into the 1997 deaths of Princess Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, in a high-speed car accident in Paris, France.
Royal coroner Michael Burgess launched the evidence- and fact-finding portion of the inquiry, saying it likely would be 12 to 15 months before he resumed public hearings.
"This assumes that everything will proceed forward in a 'timely' way with the French material becoming available for my use very soon and all those who have their parts to play doing so promptly when requested," Burgess said.
In the early morning hours of August 31, 1997, the princess, Fayed and their chauffeur, Henri Paul, were killed when their Mercedes, pursued by photographers after leaving a hotel, careered out of control into a concrete barrier in a Paris tunnel. Fayed and Paul were killed instantly, and Diana died later at the hospital.
French proceedings near end?
Burgess said France's legal proceedings, which hemmed pieces of evidence in that nation's courts, were the primary reason the inquest was delayed for more than six years. He said he believes "the French proceedings are coming to an end."
A French judge ruled in 1999 that the crash was an accident, and an investigation concluded that Paul had been drinking and was driving at a high speed.
In 2002, France's highest court dropped manslaughter charges against nine photographers who pursued the car before it crashed or who took photos at the site.
In November, a French court acquitted three photographers in a case brought by Fayed's father, billionaire Mohammed al Fayed, who alleged they invaded his son's privacy by taking pictures at the crash scene. Prosecutors have appealed that verdict.
"In an inquest there is no prosecution and no defense, but rather a single search for the truth," Burgess said. "Unlike other English courts, the inquest does not depend upon a particular proposition or claim being made or argued for, and then challenged. Instead, at an inquest the evidence is considered, and then from that evidence a proven chain of causation is drawn ending with the demonstrable medical cause of death.
"The conclusion or verdict at an inquest has to be based upon the evidence as proved, not on speculation," he said. "Expressions of opinion on any other matter -- for example, on who might be to blame -- are not allowed although actions, based on the evidence thrown up by the inquest, may sometimes be taken in the criminal or civil courts where matters of liability can be addressed."
Al Fayed attended both hearings Tuesday. He has contended from the start that Diana and his son were murdered, and he has funded his own investigation.
On Tuesday, he told reporters he hoped that the "truth will come out" in the British inquests.
"It is absolute black and white murder," al Fayed said.
Allegations in London tabloid
The opening hearings of the inquiries came hours after one of London's daily tabloids reported that the princess, months before her death, feared Prince Charles wanted to kill her.
CNN could not confirm the Daily Mirror's allegations that the words "my husband" are behind a blacked-out portion of a letter written by Diana and published last year in a book by her former butler, Paul Burrell. The Mirror, which serialized Burrell's book, printed an image of the letter in Tuesday's edition, but the blacked-out portions remained.
Royal sources denied there was any truth to the allegations. The sources said conspiracy theories abound but no evidence supports them.
Burrell said Tuesday he was angry at the newspaper's decision to publish the name. Speaking to Sky News outside his home, he said he was going to consult his lawyer and agent.
Burrell told the Mirror that he would hand the letter -- in which the princess spoke of plans for "an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury" -- over to Burgess.
"I reproduced only a portion of that letter in my book to provide further force to the argument that an inquest must be held," the former butler said. "To that end, the document has fulfilled its main purpose. I'll do what I've always said I'll do and provide the coroner with every possible assistance where the information I know is relevant to his investigations."
The coroner said he would have London's Metropolitan Police gather evidence related to any number of conspiracy theories regarding the deaths, but he did not specifically mention any theory.
