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Princess was 'blissfully in love' Princess was 'blissfully in love'
(about 7 hours later)
Princess Diana was "deeply and blissfully" in love with Dodi Al Fayed, her stepmother has said. Princess Diana was "deeply and blissfully" in love with Dodi Al Fayed, her stepmother has told their inquest.
But Diana would not have allowed herself to become pregnant outside of marriage, Raine, Countess Spencer, told her inquest. Their relationship was so "profound" that they were likely to get married, Raine, Countess Spencer said, but she dismissed claims Diana was pregnant.
"Diana was brought up in a quite old-fashioned way. It would have been out of the question for her," she said. Diana was raised in an "old-fashioned way" and it would have been "out of the question for her" to let herself become pregnant outside of marriage, she said.
She also pleaded with the coroner to solve the "mystery" of their deaths.
'Fateful meeting'
Lady Spencer said she came to feel that a marriage between the couple was likely during her last telephone conversation with Diana, which was only shortly before the crash.
I beg you to do your utmost to solve this mystery, to tear aside everything that could be a cover-up Raine, Countess Spencer
"It was at that moment that I felt it was highly likely that she and Dodi would get engaged and then married," she said.
Lady Spencer said she felt the relationship was not a "summer romance" because it was "much deeper, much more profound and much closer".
She described Mr Al Fayed as "absolutely charming, very sweet, very quiet, very modest, with beautiful manners".
Diana went on holiday at Mohamed al Fayed's invitation, which led to the "fateful meeting" with his son, Dodi, the countess said.
Diana began seeing Dodi Al Fayed regularly when she returned from the holiday.
Lady Spencer said: "It was fun, it was exciting. I was amazed because I felt there might be something in it.
"The ways of the heart are difficult to fathom, even with our closest of friends."
'Nasty letters'
She also told the coroner that Diana was on friendly terms with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.She also told the coroner that Diana was on friendly terms with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
"Her Majesty was always extremely nice to her, which she appreciated very much," she said."Her Majesty was always extremely nice to her, which she appreciated very much," she said.
"And the Duke was always extremely nice to her." Countess Spencer was married to Diana's father John, Earl Spencer
'Fateful meeting' "And the duke was always extremely nice to her."
The countess said she did not believe stories that Diana had received "nasty letters" from the Duke of Edinburgh.The countess said she did not believe stories that Diana had received "nasty letters" from the Duke of Edinburgh.
The countess said Diana confided in her because, "she said I had no hidden agenda".The countess said Diana confided in her because, "she said I had no hidden agenda".
Diana went on holiday at Mohamed al Fayed's invitation, which led to the "fateful meeting" with Dodi, the countess said. At the end of her evidence, Lady Spencer pleaded with coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker and the jury to resolve any mystery surrounding the case.
She described Dodi as "absolutely charming, very sweet, very quiet, very modest, with beautiful manners". She said: "I beg you to do your utmost to solve this mystery, to tear aside everything that could be a cover-up and to sift everything that could be possible or impossible in order to allow poor Diana and poor Dodi to at last rest in peace."
Diana began seeing Dodi regularly when she returned from the holiday. The coroner said: "Thank you for your sentiments. We are certainly trying to leave no stone unturned."
Lady Spencer said: "It was fun, it was exciting. I was amazed because I felt there might be something in it.
"The ways of the heart are difficult to fathom, even with our closest of friends."