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Diana and Dodi inquest under way 'Vigorous' Diana inquest promised
(about 6 hours later)
The inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Al Fayed has begun at London's High Court. The inquest into Princess Diana's death will be a "vigorous and searching inquiry", coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker has said on its opening day.
A jury of six women and five men has been selected for the hearing, which could last six months. They were chosen by ballot from a shortlist of 25. Various theories surrounding the deaths of the princess and Dodi Al Fayed would be explored, including that she was pregnant when she died, he said.
Throughout the case, jurors will be escorted to and from court by police. London's High Court heard that Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, remained convinced his son was murdered.
The princess and Mr Al Fayed died in a car crash in the Pont d'Alma tunnel, in Paris, on 31 August 1997. The inquest comes 10 years after the couple died in a car crash in Paris.
Untarnished truth We shall be conducting a vigorous and searching inquiry through the evidence so that the true cause of death may, if possible, be determined once and for all Lord Justice Scott Baker class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7024408.stm">Jurors face daunting task
Arriving at the High Court, Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, said he wanted justice for his dead son. A jury of six women and five men were selected by ballot from a shortlist of 25 at the start of the hearing, which could last six months.
"I'm hoping for justice, I'm a father who lost his son. I have been fighting for 10 years, at last I want to have justice." Speaking at the start, Lord Justice Baker said some people believed something "sinister" had been behind the crash in the Pont d'Alma tunnel on 31 August 1997.
The Harrods boss added that he remained convinced that the princess and his son were "murdered". He told jurors: "We shall be conducting a vigorous and searching inquiry through the evidence so that the true cause of death may, if possible, be determined once and for all."
Speaking earlier, a spokesman for Mr Al Fayed called for members of the Royal Family to give evidence at the hearing. The coroner set out some of the issues the inquest would examine. They include:
We shall investigate matters some of which may very well turn out to be irrelevant to the cause of the deaths because one of the purposes of an inquest is to allay speculation and rumour Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7024408.stm">Jurors face daunting task
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  • Whether Princess Diana feared for her life
  • Whether the couple were about to announce their engagement
  • Whether their driver, Henri Paul, was in a fit state to drive
  • Whether the British security services were involved in a conspiracy
  • Whether the princess was pregnant
Michael Cole told GMTV this was the "last best chance to get at the plain untarnished truth". The jury was shown a picture of the princess in a leopard-print swimsuit taken in the summer of 1997 - sometimes cited as evidence that she was pregnant with Dodi's child.
"At stages in her life the only person Diana could talk to in confidence in the Royal Family was the Queen," he said. But Lord Justice Baker pointed out that the photograph had been taken shortly before Princess Diana met Dodi.
"She has an unrivalled knowledge of the princess' state of mind." He also said Mohamed Al Fayed believed the couple were murdered by British secret agents acting on the direct orders of the Royal Family and the then-British government.
Mr Al Fayed said he had waited a long time for the inquest
Speaking outside the court before the hearing began, Harrods owner Mr Fayed told reporters: "At last we're going to have a jury from ordinary people and I hope to reach the decision, which I believe, that my son and Princess Diana have been murdered by the Royal Family."
The inquest hearing began on the day the European Court of Human Rights dismissed a complaint brought by Mr Al Fayed against the French authorities over their investigation into the crash.The inquest hearing began on the day the European Court of Human Rights dismissed a complaint brought by Mr Al Fayed against the French authorities over their investigation into the crash.
He had accused them of not fully following up relevant leads. But judges ruled any refusals Mr Al Fayed had met with "did not, as such, call into question the effectiveness of the investigations, as a whole". He had accused them of not fully following up relevant leads. But judges ruled any refusals Mr Al Fayed had met with "did not, as such, call into question the effectiveness of the investigations as a whole".
'Unique nature'
Last Thursday, some 227 candidates for jury service were summoned by letter to London's Royal Courts of Justice, but only 80 turned up.
The 80 were handed a list of 10 questions ordering them to reveal any connections to the Royal Family, Mohamed Al Fayed, or the security services.
Mr Al Fayed wants members of the Royal Family to give evidence
The final panel of 11 jurors was selected on Tuesday by ballot from a potential 25 and their names were read out by a court official.
Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker told the jurors that their role was to decide four questions: who died, when they died, where they died and how they died.
He said the fourth question - effectively the verdict - was wider.
He said: "Because of the unique nature of this case we shall explore that question a great deal more widely than would ordinarily be the case.
"We shall investigate matters some of which may very well turn out to be irrelevant to the cause of the deaths because one of the purposes of an inquest is to allay speculation and rumour."
In the second week of the hearing, the jury will be flown to Paris to retrace Diana's final journey.In the second week of the hearing, the jury will be flown to Paris to retrace Diana's final journey.