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London (dpa) - Princes William and Harry said Friday they were "deeply saddened" at the publication of an alleged "last photograph" of their mother, Princess Diana, taken moments after the car crash that killed her in Paris in 1997.
In a strongly-worded statement released in London, William, 24, and Harry, 21, said: "Following this week's publication in an Italian magazine of material relating directly to the death of our mother, we feel deeply saddened that such a low point has been reached."
The princes appealed to the media "throughout the world to appreciate that publishing such material causes great hurt to us."
Their comments came after UK magazine distributors were urged not to import copies of the Italian magazine Chi, which published the black and white photograph.
Pictures of Diana's dying moments have never before been published in Europe and the ethics of doing so have been hotly debated in Britain.
The photograph shows the princess, then aged 37, in the smashed Mercedes, being given an oxygen mask by a paramedic.
"Despite the support shown to us and our mother's memory by so many people over the last eight years, we feel that as her sons we would be failing in our duty to her now if we did not protect her as she once did us," the statement said.
Harrods-owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi was killed with Diana in the crash on August 31, 1997, also condemned the "vile publication" of the picture.
But Chi's editor Umberto Brindani said the picture was "touching" and "tender."
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
