their thoughts and fears. Before exiting from the last door, Dodi and Diana are clinging to each other. Observing this behaviour from a psychological point of view, this type of hug, keeping the fingers of one's hand tight between the fingers of the hand of another person, with one's arm on the lower part of the back, is a tangible sign that the individual, Diana in this case, is unsure of herself, she is not at ease and asks for support and protection, she is anxious, has a great fear and apprehension.
We are unsure of what exactly she was thinking in that precise moment to have led her to that gesture, but one thing is sure, Diana was experiencing a combination of agitation, anxiety and concerns about a possible danger and the worry that something extremely serious could be happening to her. Now the couple is down the hallway, a few meters away from the secondary exit of the Ritz, there are neither armchairs nor benches to sit on, there is only the door that faces the narrow, gloomy and dark street of Rue Cambon.
To the left of this dim corridor there are some windows of one of the many shops of the Ritz, instinctively, Diana does not lose the opportunity to check her silhouette, outlined by her suit, reflected on the glass of the light up window.
Besides Henri Paul there is also Trevor Reese-Jones, often focused on looking at his watch. Henri Paul explains to Diana and Dodi on which side and spot of the side-walk the Mercedes is parked and makes clear how to reach it, after that he will give the couple the green light by inviting them to come out and will show his assistance by preceding them. As expected, Kez Wingfield and Philippe Dourneau are now in their respective vehicles at the front entrance of the Ritz, ready to leave at the exact previously agreed time.
1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:15 and 50 seconds am: Henri Paul leaves the Ritz through the service door which is in the back, goes on the side walk of the Rue Cambon, checks the road and sees three men, probably some photographers stationed on the other side of the street, he nods at them, raising his right hand, or, anyway, he performs some kind of greeting. âMany journalists have asserted that with that act Henri Paul wanted to give to the three a kind of signal to start an activity plan, previously concurredâ.
According to other reporters Henri Paul's behaviour is very suspicious, some private investigators and media have connected Henri Paul's gesture to some kind of âsign of agreementâ, associating it with the fact that he had sold information about the strategy the couple would have used that night on board of the Mercedes.
In reality, Henri Paul got out of the back of the Ritz simply to verify where, on Rue Cambon, was the backup Mercedes parked, the car he had requested an hour before (this is the vehicle which will be used in a few minutes for the escape plan programmed by Dodi and the man in charge of the security at the Ritz, François Tendil). The three individuals that Henri Paul greeted remotely raising his right arm, could simply have been some paparazzi or maybe some people that he knew.
These three may as well have been the two employees of the Park Etoile Limousine that delivered the keys of the car ordered to them, to a servant of the Ritz, and maybe they were waiting for a verification by Henri Paul.
Let us consider, however, that the information of the presence of a second Mercedes on Rue Cambon was known both to some of the Ritz staff and to the employees of Park Etoile Limousine. As we will see below, there are tangible elements that demonstrate the complete absence of a betrayal by Henri Paul against the famous couple. Contrary to this, Mohamed Al-Fayed claimed that Henri Paul that night betrayed his son by allying and cooperating with the French and British intelligence services.
FROM THIS MOMENT ON FOR THE FLEEING PASSENGERS
BEGINS A 5 MINUTES COUNTDOWN
1997 Sunday, August 31, 12:19 and 50 seconds am: After a total of about 10 minutes waiting in the hallway in the back, the two CCTV surveillance cameras of the Ritz, filmed the last images of the Princess still alive, while exiting in silence from the small secondary door of the luxurious hotel. It is a warm late summer evening, particularly sultry, but not gloomy at all. At the flash of the few photographers hidden there, Diana appears with a casual outfit of a rather sporty cut, a well-worn black blazer, white stretch pants, long but summery and Versace pump shoes with medium-low heel.
She is not carrying anything, not a handbag and nor even a mobile phone, it seems that she might have dressed like that, purposely lightweight and sporty, to give the impression she was not undertaking a long journey, or to cover the eventuality of having to rush or to run away on foot, in case an emergency would have happened. She is certainly not going on a super stylish illuminated runway with a crimson red carpet, where all the superstars of the globe parade, and there are absolutely no macho bodyguards or crowds of photojournalists with cameras and TV broadcasting worldwide from behind the barriers.
Diana comes out in an absolute silence of a cold and dark vibe, the atmosphere brings shivers as in a thriller film that causes high tension and great fear. The Princess is dressed like one of the many simple girls next-door, white summery trousers, tight on her slim legs that enhance her fast walk in the darkness of this dreary road she is using to flee in secret.
Just out of the hotel, the couple is now preceded by Henri Paul walking on the side-walk that borders the back of the Ritz. Instantly, the flashes of the few photojournalists sputter continuously their blazing lights, it seems to hear a continuous loud noise, a crackle of fireworks and a loud rustling, like the sudden fall of hail stones of disproportionate size. They're about to reach the Mercedes parked a few ten meters away on the right central side of the road Rue Cambon, next to the same side-walk bordering the hotel. One in front of each other there is Henri Paul, then Diana and, right after, Dodi followed by the second bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones.
A few meters after exiting the back door of the hotel, with a faster pace, Trevor Rees-Jones passes Dodi and reaches Diana while she is walking alone, then he holds on tight to her as a way to protect her. The group arrived at the Mercedes that awaits them, the engine is running, the car is ready in the middle of the road. An employee of the hotel opens the doors. Observing the vehicle, Henri Paul turns to the attendant and, with a warning tone, he asks him: «Why aren't the windows darkened, couldn't you bring a different car?». Then, turning to the paparazzi standing there, almost smiling, he shouts: «Are you ready? You are not going to get me!».
However, the four passengers quickly take seat in the new vehicle. Trevor Rees-Jones keeps the rear door on the left open for the Princess and helps her sit, Diana gets in the car without taking her blazer off, Dodi enters through the same door, sitting to the left next to Diana. Behind the wheel, it's Henri Paul, beside him Trevor Rees-Jones.
Dodi receives another phone call as soon as he gets in the vehicle. Henri Paul puts the Mercedes in gear and leaves quickly, they are chased by many motorcycles and cars driven by photographers, other people and onlookers, that did not fell for the trick of the two Mercedes.
The reason for which some photographers were also present on the dark street of Rue Cambon at the back of the Ritz is due to the fact that:
1) Paparazzi are well organized.
2) That night the paparazzi present there are numerous because somebody alerted them.
3) The paparazzi have assistants and with them they have surrounded the Ritz Hotel structure.
4) The paparazzi communicate with each other rapidly through mobile phones and long range walkie-talkies.
5) There are printing services, such as the one of James Andanson and Guy Croussy, which inform about all the movements and the appearence of VIPs. External agents, working for the journalists of these services, are guys who use motorcycles and scooters. They are many, young, cheap and they have the cellphone numbers of all photojournalists registered
