Henri Paul
Encyclopedia
Henri Paul was the Deputy Head of Security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris
. He was the driver at the time of the car accident
at the Pont de l'Alma
tunnel in Paris
that killed him along with Diana, Princess of Wales
and Dodi Fayed on 31 August 1997. Bodyguard
Trevor Rees-Jones was the sole survivor of the crash. Subsequent official investigations conducted by French and British police concluded that the cause of the crash was Paul, who was intoxicated with alcohol and driving recklessly at high speed.
in 1998.
The Operation Paget Inquiry, however, received Europe-wide standards for pilots' medicals that were in force in 1997 from the Civil Aviation Authority that suggest no specific medical test for alcoholism was undertaken and a self-certification of alcohol problems was required from individual pilots. Henri Paul made no certification of alcohol problems and none were externally apparent to the doctor who examined him. As part of security training, Paul was known to have been to Stuttgart
, Germany, two times on specialist courses run by Mercedes-Benz
on how to handle their cars; these included anti-terrorist and anti-kidnapping evasion techniques.
photographers at high speed (estimated at over double the 50-km/h speed limit) when the Mercedes S280
he was driving crashed into a column supporting the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. His blood alcohol content
level was subsequently found to be between 1.73 g/L and 1.75 g/L (~>0.17% mass/vol.), a figure over twice the legal limit in most geographic jurisdictions within the United States and more than three times the threshold for drunk driving as defined under French law. Paul's parents Jean and Giselle dispute the authenticity and the accuracy of the test results, as does Dodi's father Mohamed Al Fayed.
in Operation Paget
headed by Lord Stevens over the course of three years. Chapter four of the investigative report is entirely given to the allegations about Henri Paul.
The conclusions of the 2006 Operation Paget
investigation were that Paul's involvement with the Security Services was limited to low level co-operation with the French DST
when high profile guests stayed at the Ritz Hotel and he received no payment for this in line with French Government policy. It further noted such involvement with national security services is common among senior security staff at upmarket hotels in major world cities.
According to his best friend, Claude Garrec, the large quantity of cash found in his pockets, FF12,565 (approximately equivalent to £1,250 or US$2,500) could be attributed to a requirement of his job to run errands for wealthy guests at the Ritz Hotel when required. A large quantity of cash would need to be on hand to perform errands at short notice as wealthy people are known to often not carry cash. Paul also received large tips for performing these errands. His mother told of an occasion when Paul received FF5,000 (£500 or US$1,000) as a tip from a relative of an Arab Prince for shopping for some luxury textiles for her. Such four-figure tips were not a rare occurrence for him during his eleven years at the Paris Ritz.
Operation Paget
concluded that the cash and the money in his bank accounts was unlikely to have come from any national security service as there was no evidence in his bank accounts of attempts to disguise money coming from a clandestine source and there was no opportunity for him to begin to implement any plan instructed to him in return for payment on the night of the accident. Furthermore, he was a 41 year old single man with no dependents who had worked all his adult life and owned property which he let out to tenants and this was a possible explanation for the FF1,700,000 (approximately £170,000 or US$340,000) that made up his personal wealth at the time of his death. The large number of bank accounts he had his money deposited in is not uncommon in France, where banks will routinely open several accounts for different purposes, all to serve one customer.
Henri Paul's doctor testified that in the two years leading up to his death he had depressive episodes about the break-up of a long term relationship, and had sometimes taken to drinking at home outside a social context. She believed he was not alcohol-dependent but she was worried that he might become so, and in about June 1996, she prescribed him the anti-depressant Prozac (fluoxetine
), and an anti-alcoholism medication, Aotal (Acamprosate
), which causes a dislike of alcohol. Dr Mélo said that sometimes he would not take his anti-alcoholism medication so that he could drink in reasonable quantities. An empty packet of Aotal tablets was found in the waste paper basket of Henri Paul's office at the Ritz Hotel. If the blood samples analysed were his, then the absence in them of Aotal means that he could not have taken any for at least a few days or traces of it would have shown up. No traces of the drug were found in any of the samples said to have come from Henri Paul after his death. Traces of the anti-depressants were found in post-mortem examinations of his blood. The inquest revealed that the autopsy also found Henri Paul's liver to be normal with no indicating signs of a problem with alcoholism.
investigated the reliability of the post-mortem examinations using DNA
comparison of the disputed blood sample by comparing a DNA profile from it with Henri Paul's mother's DNA profile. The test produced a result that there was maternal relationship between the two profiles to a probability of 99.9997%. The very high level of carbon monoxide in this blood sample was attributed to the area of the body it was taken from and to his living in a built up urban area and smoking of small cigars in the hours leading up to his death.
, his favourite anise
-flavoured French aperitif
, before driving. This contradicted Lord Stevens's previous comments.
An unexplained prescription only drug called albendazole
(or Zentel) used to treat worm infestations was also found in hair samples from Henri Paul; this drug is said to be commonly given to homeless people living on the streets. Henri Paul's doctor denies prescribing this drug to Henri Paul.
Another issue raised in court by Lord Justice Scott Baker was the level of carbon monoxide
found in one blood sample, which if true would have shown Henri Paul noticeably unwell. He told the jury: "You may conclude that there are some unsatisfactory features about aspects of the sampling and recording procedures". ... "Some of the results are puzzling."
. Despite searches by French police this car was not found. Mohamed Al Fayed alleges that the owner of the Fiat Uno was Jean-Paul 'James' Andanson, a French photojournalist. He had been one of the paparazzi photographing Diana and Dodi earlier in the summer, and Al Fayed claims he was working for the British secret service. Andanson, who had an alibi for the night of the crash, sold the Fiat Uno in November 1997. He committed suicide in May 2000; his body was found in a black, burnt-out BMW in a forest in the south of France. An official investigation concluded that he had committed suicide. Lord Baker said there was no evidence linking Andanson with the secret service.
Diana: Last Days of a Princess
.
Hôtel Ritz Paris
The Hôtel Ritz is a grand palatial hotel in the heart of Paris, the 1st arrondissement. It overlooks the octagonal border of the Place Vendôme at number 15...
. He was the driver at the time of the car accident
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
at the Pont de l'Alma
Pont de l'Alma
Pont de l'Alma is an arch bridge in Paris, crossing the Seine. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War, in which the Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army on September 20, 1854....
tunnel in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
that killed him along with Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and Dodi Fayed on 31 August 1997. Bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
Trevor Rees-Jones was the sole survivor of the crash. Subsequent official investigations conducted by French and British police concluded that the cause of the crash was Paul, who was intoxicated with alcohol and driving recklessly at high speed.
Personal background
Paul had worked for the Fayed family for 11 years. He received his private pilot's licence in June 1974 and was said to enjoy hiring aircraft to fly over to Lorient. On 28 August 1997, three days before the car accident he successfully passed his annual pilot's physical examination. The examination includes a certification which tests for any alcohol problems (including a blood and liver test). Henri Paul's parents claim that this test would have shown if Henri Paul had problems with alcoholism. The original document Certificat D'Aptitude Physique et Mentale was shown on Diana - Geheimnisse der Todesnacht German-Television ZDFZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
in 1998.
The Operation Paget Inquiry, however, received Europe-wide standards for pilots' medicals that were in force in 1997 from the Civil Aviation Authority that suggest no specific medical test for alcoholism was undertaken and a self-certification of alcohol problems was required from individual pilots. Henri Paul made no certification of alcohol problems and none were externally apparent to the doctor who examined him. As part of security training, Paul was known to have been to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany, two times on specialist courses run by Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
on how to handle their cars; these included anti-terrorist and anti-kidnapping evasion techniques.
The accident
On the night of 31 August 1997, Paul was under the influence of alcohol and trying to elude paparazziPaparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
photographers at high speed (estimated at over double the 50-km/h speed limit) when the Mercedes S280
Mercedes-Benz W140
The Mercedes-Benz W140 was a series of flagship vehicles manufactured by the German automotive company Mercedes-Benz. The car premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1991, with the first examples rolling off the production line on August 6, 1991. Short and long wheelbase sedans were offered...
he was driving crashed into a column supporting the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. His blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
level was subsequently found to be between 1.73 g/L and 1.75 g/L (~>0.17% mass/vol.), a figure over twice the legal limit in most geographic jurisdictions within the United States and more than three times the threshold for drunk driving as defined under French law. Paul's parents Jean and Giselle dispute the authenticity and the accuracy of the test results, as does Dodi's father Mohamed Al Fayed.
Involvement with national security services
Allegations have been made about Henri Paul in the years following his death concerning his fitness to drive on the night of the accident and his alleged involvement with Security Services in France, and possibly the UK. The claims were investigated by the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in Operation Paget
Operation Paget
Operation Paget was the Metropolitan Police inquiry, led by Lord Stevens, that investigated the conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed on 31 August 1997....
headed by Lord Stevens over the course of three years. Chapter four of the investigative report is entirely given to the allegations about Henri Paul.
The conclusions of the 2006 Operation Paget
Operation Paget
Operation Paget was the Metropolitan Police inquiry, led by Lord Stevens, that investigated the conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed on 31 August 1997....
investigation were that Paul's involvement with the Security Services was limited to low level co-operation with the French DST
Direction de la surveillance du territoire
The Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire was a directorate of the French National Police operating as a domestic intelligence agency. It was responsible for counterespionage, counterterrorism and more generally the security of France against foreign threats and interference...
when high profile guests stayed at the Ritz Hotel and he received no payment for this in line with French Government policy. It further noted such involvement with national security services is common among senior security staff at upmarket hotels in major world cities.
Personal finances
It was found after Paul's death that he was in possession of a large sum of money on his person and had a large personal fortune that far surpassed his expected income held in fifteen separate bank accounts. It was alleged this could only have been as a result of payment from an illicit source, supposedly a national security service.According to his best friend, Claude Garrec, the large quantity of cash found in his pockets, FF12,565 (approximately equivalent to £1,250 or US$2,500) could be attributed to a requirement of his job to run errands for wealthy guests at the Ritz Hotel when required. A large quantity of cash would need to be on hand to perform errands at short notice as wealthy people are known to often not carry cash. Paul also received large tips for performing these errands. His mother told of an occasion when Paul received FF5,000 (£500 or US$1,000) as a tip from a relative of an Arab Prince for shopping for some luxury textiles for her. Such four-figure tips were not a rare occurrence for him during his eleven years at the Paris Ritz.
Operation Paget
Operation Paget
Operation Paget was the Metropolitan Police inquiry, led by Lord Stevens, that investigated the conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed on 31 August 1997....
concluded that the cash and the money in his bank accounts was unlikely to have come from any national security service as there was no evidence in his bank accounts of attempts to disguise money coming from a clandestine source and there was no opportunity for him to begin to implement any plan instructed to him in return for payment on the night of the accident. Furthermore, he was a 41 year old single man with no dependents who had worked all his adult life and owned property which he let out to tenants and this was a possible explanation for the FF1,700,000 (approximately £170,000 or US$340,000) that made up his personal wealth at the time of his death. The large number of bank accounts he had his money deposited in is not uncommon in France, where banks will routinely open several accounts for different purposes, all to serve one customer.
Personal circumstances and attitude to alcohol
Friends of Henri Paul testified in statements to the French police that he did not have a remarkably high tolerance for alcohol and was never seen on social occasions to drink for several hours while showing obvious signs of drunkenness. In her statement to French police, his medical doctor Dominique Mélo, who was also a friend, explained: "Henry (sic) drank like everyone else, but not to excess". ... "He did not have the clinical stigmata or the behaviour of a chronic alcoholic."Henri Paul's doctor testified that in the two years leading up to his death he had depressive episodes about the break-up of a long term relationship, and had sometimes taken to drinking at home outside a social context. She believed he was not alcohol-dependent but she was worried that he might become so, and in about June 1996, she prescribed him the anti-depressant Prozac (fluoxetine
Fluoxetine
Fluoxetine is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It is manufactured and marketed by Eli Lilly and Company...
), and an anti-alcoholism medication, Aotal (Acamprosate
Acamprosate
Acamprosate, also known as N-acetyl homotaurine and by the brand name Campral, is a drug used for treating alcohol dependence.Acamprosate is thought to stabilize the chemical balance in the brain that would otherwise be disrupted by alcoholism, possibly by blocking glutamatergic...
), which causes a dislike of alcohol. Dr Mélo said that sometimes he would not take his anti-alcoholism medication so that he could drink in reasonable quantities. An empty packet of Aotal tablets was found in the waste paper basket of Henri Paul's office at the Ritz Hotel. If the blood samples analysed were his, then the absence in them of Aotal means that he could not have taken any for at least a few days or traces of it would have shown up. No traces of the drug were found in any of the samples said to have come from Henri Paul after his death. Traces of the anti-depressants were found in post-mortem examinations of his blood. The inquest revealed that the autopsy also found Henri Paul's liver to be normal with no indicating signs of a problem with alcoholism.
Blood sample
Operation PagetOperation Paget
Operation Paget was the Metropolitan Police inquiry, led by Lord Stevens, that investigated the conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed on 31 August 1997....
investigated the reliability of the post-mortem examinations using DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
comparison of the disputed blood sample by comparing a DNA profile from it with Henri Paul's mother's DNA profile. The test produced a result that there was maternal relationship between the two profiles to a probability of 99.9997%. The very high level of carbon monoxide in this blood sample was attributed to the area of the body it was taken from and to his living in a built up urban area and smoking of small cigars in the hours leading up to his death.
Other developments
It was disclosed that in November 2006 Lord Stevens had a meeting with Henri Paul's parents and told them that their son was not drunk, and was found to have indisputably had two alcoholic drinks (this was verified by bodyguards Trevor Rees-Jones and Kieran Wingfield, two barmen in the bar, till records from the hotel bar and a drink bill ). Five weeks later the report stated that Henri Paul was twice over the British drink-drive limit and three times over the French limit. An expert cited in the report estimated that Paul had drunk the equivalent of ten small glasses of RicardRicard
Ricard may mean:*Pernod Ricard, a major producer of pastis , formed from Pernod Fils and Ricard*Ricard Pastis, a leading brand of pastis...
, his favourite anise
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
-flavoured French aperitif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
, before driving. This contradicted Lord Stevens's previous comments.
An unexplained prescription only drug called albendazole
Albendazole
Albendazole, marketed as Albenza, Eskazole, Zentel and Andazol, is a member of the benzimidazole compounds used as a drug indicated for the treatment of a variety of worm infestations. Although this use is widespread in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved...
(or Zentel) used to treat worm infestations was also found in hair samples from Henri Paul; this drug is said to be commonly given to homeless people living on the streets. Henri Paul's doctor denies prescribing this drug to Henri Paul.
Another issue raised in court by Lord Justice Scott Baker was the level of carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
found in one blood sample, which if true would have shown Henri Paul noticeably unwell. He told the jury: "You may conclude that there are some unsatisfactory features about aspects of the sampling and recording procedures". ... "Some of the results are puzzling."
Fiat Uno
There is also evidence that the Mercedes Henri Paul was driving that night was clipped by another car. The mystery car left paint scratches on the side of the Mercedes along with shards of plastic glass on the road. This was later identified as coming from a Fiat UnoFiat Uno
The Fiat Uno is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. The Uno was launched in 1983 and built in its homeland until 1995, with production still taking place in other countries.-First series :...
. Despite searches by French police this car was not found. Mohamed Al Fayed alleges that the owner of the Fiat Uno was Jean-Paul 'James' Andanson, a French photojournalist. He had been one of the paparazzi photographing Diana and Dodi earlier in the summer, and Al Fayed claims he was working for the British secret service. Andanson, who had an alibi for the night of the crash, sold the Fiat Uno in November 1997. He committed suicide in May 2000; his body was found in a black, burnt-out BMW in a forest in the south of France. An official investigation concluded that he had committed suicide. Lord Baker said there was no evidence linking Andanson with the secret service.
Television dramatisation
Henri Paul was featured in the 2007 television docudramaDocudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
Diana: Last Days of a Princess
Diana: Last Days of a Princess
Diana: Last Days of a Princess is a television movie broadcast in the United States by TLC on August 12, 2007 and subsequent dates. It also has aired on Five, UKTV History, UKTV Drama in Great Britain, RTÉ in Ireland, ProSieben in Germany, TF1 in France, RTP in Portugal, Channel 7 Australia,...
.
See also
- Death of Diana, Princess of WalesDeath of Diana, Princess of WalesOn 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
- Operation PagetOperation PagetOperation Paget was the Metropolitan Police inquiry, led by Lord Stevens, that investigated the conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed on 31 August 1997....
- List of people who died in road accidents
External links
- Download: Lord Stevens' 832-page Operation Paget Report Into The Deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi Al Fayed & Henri Paul. Chapter 4 of the report is devoted to Henri Paul 14 December 2006
- Unknown secrets about Henri Paul
- Funeral for Diana's driver
- The life and poignant death of Diana's driver