Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
London (dpa) - More than 40 witnesses are to be heard at a judicial inquest in Britain into the death of the late Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris almost 10 years ago, the coroner presiding over the proceedings said Monday.
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a former senior High Court judge who opened preliminary hearings to the inquest in London Monday, said French witnesses would give evidence via video link from Paris and many others would be invited to make statements in the courtroom.
In line with the explicit wish of the sons of Diana, the princes William and Harry, the inquest would be "transparent" and seek to provide "reliable answers," Butler-Sloss said.
The inquest follows an official British police investigation which concluded last month that Diana, and her then boyfriend, Dodi al Fayed, were killed in a "tragic accident" in Paris in August, 1997.
The Mercedes car in which they were travelling crashed in a Paris underpass, killing the pair, as well as French driver Henri Paul, in the early hours of August 31, 1997.
But Dodi's father, multi-millionaire Harrods-owner Mohamed al Fayed, represented in court by top lawyer Michael Mansfield, repeated accusations Monday that the conclusions of the police report were "highly unsatisfactory."
Al Fayed is pressing for the appointment of a jury composed of ordinary members of the public "so that all the facts can be put before the British people."
A decision on the need for a jury is due to be taken in the course of the two-day preliminary hearing.
Meanwhile, Diana's oldest son, William, Monday started his career as an army officer by joining the elite Household Cavalry Regiment of the Blues and Royals.
The 24-year-old, who was trained at Sandhurst military academy, reported for his first day of duty at Combermere Barracks, near Windsor, outside London.
Cornet Wales, as William will be known in the army, is later due to take part in a five-month training course in an armoured reconnaissance unit in Dorset, south-west Britain.
Copyright 2007 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
