darkened windows, the same car used to drive the couple around Paris that afternoon, was parked outside of the main entrance of the Ritz, in Place Vendôme. This was going to be used as a deceiving car driven by its habitual driver, Philippe Dourneau. A camouflaged couple with the appearance of Diana and Dodi was going to get on this car, and they were going to leave together with the Range Rover, driven by Kez Wingfield, backing them up.
b) Another Mercedes (very similar, but sadly with transparent windows), that was going to be parked in Rue Cambon, close to the secondary exit at the back of the Ritz, was going to be used for the secret escape. This latter car would carry the real Diana and Dodi.
The three vehicles would have to leave as one. The Mercedes carrying the true Diana and Dodi was then going to drive on the road along the Seine in the direction of the airport, while, from the main entrance of the Ritz, the other Mercedes and the Range Rover were going to go towards Dodi's apartment on Rue Arsene-Houssaye, near the Arc of Triumph, to pick up Diana's luggage and to take it to the airport Le Bourget.
In fact, the trick was in the intention of deceiving the paparazzi, reporters and onlookers making them believe that Diana and Dodi would have entered the Mercedes parked outside the main entrance. In reality it was clearly visible on the videos recorded by cameras at the Ritz (even if the images are dark) that those who got on this Mercedes were different people camouflaged, including a blonde woman.
To make things clear, this decoy Mercedes was going to take the following path: it was going to depart from Ritz, to cross Place Vendôme, towards Rue Saint Honoré and arrive at Rue de Rivoli, then it was going to turn left in the direction of Place de la Concorde, to turn right on Avenue des Champs-Elysèes in the direction of the Arc of Triumph, and finally it was going to go straight until it reached its destination, Dodi's apartment, which is located on Rue Arsene-Houssaye, on the right just before the Arc of Triumph.
On the ground floor at the back of the Ritz there is a door, this is a secondary exit that leads to the dark road of Rue Cambon. After midnight Dodi and Diana together with bodyguards: Henri Paul e Trevor Rees-Jones would exit that door. Both cars, the Mercedes carrying the real Diana and the decoy that was parked in front of the main entrance of the Ritz, were going to leave simultaneously.
The plan was very simple: the paparazzi, that were waiting for the couple to get on the Mercedes located in front of the Ritz, would follow this car instead of the one that was parked in the back. The path that the couple would follow on board of the new Mercedes with clear windows, was not going to be the same one of the Mercedes parked in front of the main entrance of the Ritz.
According to the escape plan, hoping that the two vehicles would not come across each other, the actual path of the Mercedes carrying the real Diana and Dodi was going to be the following: to start from Rue Cambon, to cross Rue Saint Honorè, to arrive at Rue de Rivoli, then on Rue Royale to turn left towards Place de la Concorde, to go straight at the traffic lights and then to turn slightly on the left to take the road Along the Seine (La Seine) on Cours la Reine, adjacent Cours Albert 1er, then to pass the Alma tunnel and to continue on the Avenue de New York and the Avenue du Prèsident Kennedy, and next to enter the Avenue de Versaille in order to reach the entrance of the Périphérique (Périph') of Porte de St-Cloud (the ring road outside the city). At this point on the highway it was going to take the left towards Quai dâIssy and Port dâIvry up to Port de la Villette. To later exit the Périphérique and merge on Avenue J. Jaurès driving up to Le Bourget airport.
1997 Saturday, August 30, 11:00 pm: Henri Paul calls Etoile Limousine Park to order another Mercedes dark and armoured, this car has to be delivered immediately and to be parked on the street on Rue Cambon, which is located on the back of the Hotel. However, Dodi and Henri Paul certainly make the following huge mistake: they should have not chosen a Mercedes identical to the car they used that afternoon; it would have been better to use a different model, with tinted windows in any case, not to drag any attention to themselves. Not taking into account this important detail, they order a black Mercedes, the same colour of the decoy car that was parked outside the main entrance of the Ritz (identical to the one they used that afternoon with plate: 405 JVJ75).
Furthermore, this backup Mercedes Limousine, with clear windows, was rented many times by the Hotel Ritz and it is the same car that was stolen to a driver several months before. After it was recovered, it was placed for a time in the Parisian parking lot (garage) of Saint-Ouen, at the moment of the call the car had already been in the Etoile Limousine Park of Paris for two months. The deadly car of the crash is therefore a Mercedes Benz, Limousine, 600 series, type Sedan, 12 cylinders, model S-280, colour black, armoured, with clear windows and the plate: 688 LTV 75 (Henri Paul had never driven it).
1997 Saturday, August 30, 11:42 pm: Until 12:06 am Henri Paul showed up many times on the apron of the main entrance of the Ritz, to have a conversation with the many paparazzi that were there. Regardless of all the rumours written by books and gossip magazines about: âWhat Henri Paul said and revealed to the photographers?â According to the plan of Dodi, Henri simply tried to mislead the paparazzi, telling them: «The Princess will soon exit from the main entrance of the Ritz, so when she will show up, I ask everyone present here not to be too intrusive».
Examining the existing footage of those minutes, and observing Henri Paul's lip-reading, or which consonants he expressed with the movement of his lips, it seems clear that he also expressed the following to the paparazzi: «When we leave I am willing to challenge you in a race, me and this Mercedes which is outside the entrance of the Ritz.».
1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:10 and 13 seconds am: In a video shot inside the cabin of the elevator at Ritz, we can see Diana and Dodi in the background, they are smiling but they do not seem relaxed. The very last radiant smile of Lady Diana can be admired in that film, with her cheerful gaze, maybe a bit forced, but overall satisfied. After having dinner and passing the night in the luxurious Presidential Suite number 102, the lift is now going down from the first floor to the ground floor bringing the couple in the Hotel lobby.
Diana's outfit is the same one she wore that afternoon from 17:40. Together with the couple there are also the two bodyguards, Trevor Rees-Jones and Henri Paul, he will be the driver of the backup Mercedes.
1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:11 and 00 seconds am: We are on the ground floor in the rear wing of the lobby of the Hotel, in the next 14 minutes the worst road chaos of the XX century will happen at the detriment of Diana. Dodi and Diana have reached the workstation of François Tendil, jointly with the two security guards: Trevor Rees-Jones and Kez Wingfield. Henri Paul is at the beginning of the hallway in the back and he is waiting for the couple to arrive. The twosome pass in front of Henri Paul and heads towards the corridor that leads to the back of the Hotel.
It seems that all of a sudden something alarming happens, the agent Trevor appears to detect someone who allegedly touched Diana while she was walking for a moment alone.
Trevor is the only one who has noticed it, he suddenly stops and seeks cover behind an opening in the right wall, which is located between the lobby and the hallway. His gaze remains sharp, without losing sight of Diana for a moment. He puts his left hand on his gun, which he carries inside the holster around the waist of his pants (it is a .38), then he realizes that it is a false alarm and, without saying a word, continues approaching the couple that is about to reach the small and narrow corridor. At the end of it there is a small door, this is one of the secondary exits in the back of the building and leads directly to Rue Cambon. Their new Mercedes is parked on this small street and it will be used as vehicle to avoid the many paparazzi eager to photograph the Princess, located in front of the main entrance of the Ritz.
1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:11 and 53 seconds am : the very last videos from Hotel Ritz are silent, but the movements of the performers on the run appear to want to tell us something, their
