Princess Diana was beloved by many and known as the people’s princess. Even almost three decades after her death, there are still whispers about her life, like a secret engagement, the fact that she may have been pregnant at the time of her death, and other conspiracy theories. Here are the top 10 rumors about Princess Diana that suggest her story may have many unresolved aspects.
Her death wasn’t an accident
That fatal car crash on August 31, 1997, was said to have been caused by paparazzi chasing her, but there are inconsistencies like missing CCTV footage and a suspiciously drunk driver, all of which have led to the theory that her death was premeditated by the Royal Family in collaboration with MI6.
Princess Di was pregnant when she died
This theory surfaced soon after she passed away, after a police officer who accessed classified medical documents said that she was carrying a child and told The Independent that there was a cover-up involved. Her partner Dodi Fayed’s father also said the pregnancy was a key motive for people plotting to kill the couple.
She knew of her impending death
This chilling theory states that before she died, she knew it was coming. ”The Mishcon Note” was a recorded conversation between Diana and her divorce lawyer Victor Mishcon in which she brought up the subject of her death and efforts to “get rid of her” that were supposedly underway. She also wrote a letter in 1996 saying, “My husband is planning an accident in my car, brake failure, and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for Charles to marry.”
She had an affair with her bodyguard
In Princess Di’s roster of romantic partners, Barry Mannakee stands out as a fascinating name. He was her security detail in the 80s, around the same time when her marriage to Charles started getting shaky, and he acted as a steady presence in her troubled life. She said in recorded tapes that she was only happy when he was around, but the higher-ups transferred him to a different department in 1986 due to the forbidden relationship.
She leaked secret royal information to the press
Princess Diana came under intense scrutiny from the moment she joined the royal family. In 1997, there were rumors that she understood optics and how the media aimed to manipulate her image. According to gossip, she was in a symbiotic relationship with the press and even fed them information like a confidential royal phone directory.
Her phone was tapped by British intelligence agencies
This is all about Squidgygate, when tabloids leaked calls between Diana and her friend James Gilbey. The Sun first published the call, which showed Gilbey referring to Diana as “Squidgy”—many people thought that amateur radio enthusiasts were responsible for picking up the call’s frequency, but many royal commentators believed something more sinister was at play. Diana’s bodyguard believed the Government Communications Headquarters made the recording, and other staff members revealed she was always concerned about calls being hacked.
She wanted to move to America
Many people believed that Diana wanted to make like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and live in the UK instead of the US. Years before her death, she had apparently told many people about how she wanted to start a new life across the Atlantic, citing how she was always attached to the papers in Britain. This was common knowledge in her immediate circle, and apparently, she stayed put to avoid risking access to her children if she moved to another country.
She had a tape that spoke of an alleged assault that took place in the royal household
While Buckingham Palace has always been closely guarded, there are stories alleging that serious royal family scandals can slip through the cracks. On one tape, supposedly recorded by a former butler after her death, Diana documented accounts of sexual assault involving a male member of royal staff who had been assaulted by one of Charles’ aides.
She was engaged to Dodi Fayed before she passed away
This is one of the longest-surviving rumors about Diana. She began seeing Fayed in 1997 after vacationing in France, and it was one of her most significant relationships. She was constantly hounded by the press about their romance, which continued until that fatal car crash that killed them both. Those close to the couple, such as his sister, claim they were on the verge of marriage, while Fayed’s father confirmed the proposal had already occurred. It was later confirmed that he had bought her a ring inscribed with “Tell me yes.”
Prince Harry’s dad is actually lover James Hewitt
Diana had an affair with former army officer Hewitt, and one theory says that Prince Harry isn’t the son of King Charles III but the product of the affair with James Hewitt. Both have their signature red hair, after all.
