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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police 'begged to protect Diana' | Police 'begged to protect Diana' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Diana, Princess of Wales, would still be alive if she had retained her police protection, a former chief policeman has told the inquest into her death. | |
| Lord Condon, Britain's chief police officer when she died, said he had begged her to reinstate her protection. | Lord Condon, Britain's chief police officer when she died, said he had begged her to reinstate her protection. |
| But despite numerous meetings she had refused to change her mind. | But despite numerous meetings she had refused to change her mind. |
| He said: "If, as my wish, she would've had police protection in Paris, I'm absolutely convinced those three lives would not have been tragically lost." | He said: "If, as my wish, she would've had police protection in Paris, I'm absolutely convinced those three lives would not have been tragically lost." |
| "Her problem with protection was, sadly, that she did not have police protection. I wish she had," he added. | "Her problem with protection was, sadly, that she did not have police protection. I wish she had," he added. |
| The princess had first indicated she wanted to have her protection removed, in December 1993, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner said. | The princess had first indicated she wanted to have her protection removed, in December 1993, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner said. |
| I have often thought back, if that had not been the sequence of events I might have demanded face-to-face meetings with her Lord Condon | I have often thought back, if that had not been the sequence of events I might have demanded face-to-face meetings with her Lord Condon |
| A series of meetings had then taken place, up to January 1994, the court heard. | A series of meetings had then taken place, up to January 1994, the court heard. |
| Lord Condon added he had attended a "critical" meeting on 14 December 1993, in which he had said he was "really concerned" the security was going to be removed. | Lord Condon added he had attended a "critical" meeting on 14 December 1993, in which he had said he was "really concerned" the security was going to be removed. |
| The peer was himself involved in a serious accident the following day and then remained unavailable for about three and a half to four weeks. | The peer was himself involved in a serious accident the following day and then remained unavailable for about three and a half to four weeks. |
| He said: "I have often thought back, if that had not been the sequence of events I might have demanded face-to-face meetings with her. But I honestly don't think it would have changed her mind." | He said: "I have often thought back, if that had not been the sequence of events I might have demanded face-to-face meetings with her. But I honestly don't think it would have changed her mind." |
| In October 1994, the princess asked the Met's head of royalty and diplomatic protection whether there was a device in her car or her phone calls were being monitored. | |
| In the meeting with Deputy Assistant Commissioner David Meynell, she suggested police had been spying on her. | |
| Michael Mansfield, QC counsel for Mohamed Al Fayed, said it seemed Diana did not trust the police. | |
| Lord Condon said: "Clearly she had decided in her own mind, sadly, that the police, if they were on anyone's side, were not on her side. | |
| "That was wrong, but I think it was a view that I think I would have found it very hard to change her mind about." | |
| Princess Diana died after the car she was in crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris in 1997. | Princess Diana died after the car she was in crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris in 1997. |