Trevor Rees-Jones
Encyclopedia
Trevor Rees-Jones is the former bodyguard
of Diana, Princess of Wales
, and Dodi Fayed. He was badly injured in the car accident
that killed Diana, Dodi, and their driver Henri Paul
. Because he suffered a head injury in the crash, Rees-Jones does not recall particulars of the accident. Early media reports claimed he survived because he was wearing a seatbelt. However, a December 2006 Operation Paget
technical examination said that none of the occupants of the car were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
Rees-Jones suffered serious head injuries in the crash. His face was flattened: numerous bones were broken or crushed. His face was reconstructed from family photographs by a maxillofacial surgeon, Luc Chikhani
, using about 150 pieces of titanium
to hold the bones together and recreate the original shape. Within a year, his face was nearly back to normal. None of the expenses for the surgery were paid for by Rees-Jones. The cost of his hospital care was borne by Mohamed Al-Fayed
, Rees-Jones's employer at the time of the crash and the rest was paid for by the British National Health Service
(NHS).
Following recovery from the injuries sustained in the crash, Rees-Jones moved to north Shropshire
, and for some time worked in a small family-run sportswear shop in the town of Oswestry
, on the Welsh
border.
Rees-Jones wrote a book:The Bodyguard's Story: Diana, the Crash, and the Sole Survivor (ISBN 0-446-61004-6) about his experiences, with the help of a ghost-writer, Moira Johnston. The book was reconstructed from Rees-Jones' partial memories and those of his family and friends. He decided to write the book because many bizarre stories had circulated about the fatal crash and because Rees-Jones' former employer, Mohamed Al-Fayed
, had accused him of not doing his job properly.
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...
of 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. He was badly injured in 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...
that killed Diana, Dodi, and their driver Henri Paul
Henri Paul
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...
. Because he suffered a head injury in the crash, Rees-Jones does not recall particulars of the accident. Early media reports claimed he survived because he was wearing a seatbelt. However, a December 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....
technical examination said that none of the occupants of the car were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
Rees-Jones suffered serious head injuries in the crash. His face was flattened: numerous bones were broken or crushed. His face was reconstructed from family photographs by a maxillofacial surgeon, Luc Chikhani
Luc Chikhani
Luc Chikhani is a French oral and maxillofacial surgeon who is best known for rebuilding the face of Trevor Rees-Jones, the former bodyguard of Dodi Fayed, after the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul....
, using about 150 pieces of titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
to hold the bones together and recreate the original shape. Within a year, his face was nearly back to normal. None of the expenses for the surgery were paid for by Rees-Jones. The cost of his hospital care was borne by Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
, Rees-Jones's employer at the time of the crash and the rest was paid for by the British National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS).
Following recovery from the injuries sustained in the crash, Rees-Jones moved to north Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and for some time worked in a small family-run sportswear shop in the town of Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
, on the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
border.
Rees-Jones wrote a book:The Bodyguard's Story: Diana, the Crash, and the Sole Survivor (ISBN 0-446-61004-6) about his experiences, with the help of a ghost-writer, Moira Johnston. The book was reconstructed from Rees-Jones' partial memories and those of his family and friends. He decided to write the book because many bizarre stories had circulated about the fatal crash and because Rees-Jones' former employer, Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
, had accused him of not doing his job properly.
External links
- Trevor Rees-Jones tells "The Bodyguard's Story"
- Princess Diana Death Documentary about the death of Diana.