Henri Paul
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Henri Paul (3 July 1956 – 31 August 1997) was a French chauffeur. He was Head of Security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris in Paris, France. He was best known for being the hotel's hired chauffeur for the Mercedes-Benz in which Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi Fayed and himself died.
Henri Paul | |
|---|---|
 Henri Paul in 1988 | |
| Born | 3 July 1956 Lorient, France |
| Died | 31 August 1997 (aged 41) Paris, France |
| Cause of death | Traffic collision |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Head of Security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris |
| Years active | 1986–1997 |
| Employer | Mohamed Al-Fayed |
| Known for | Driving the Mercedes-Benz in which Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi Fayed and himself died |
| Parent(s) | Jean Paul Gisèle Paul |
Education and career
changeBorn in Lorient, Paul was one of the five children of Jean Paul, a teacher, and Gisèle Paul, who worked at the city council. Paul earned his pilot's license at age 18 from Vannes and served in the Air Force. After graduating from high school, he decided to move to Paris. He worked as an aviation instructor. Later he sold boats. In 1986, he was hired at the Hôtel Ritz Paris. He became a confidant of Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of the hotel. Initially deputy head of security, on June 30, 1997, he became the head of security at the Ritz.
Death
changePaul was on duty the night of August 31, 1997, taking Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed from the Hôtel Ritz Paris to an apartment on rue Arsène Houssaye, a short distance from the hotel. At the wheel of a Mercedes S280, Paul drove at high speed in order to outrun the paparazzi who were chasing the vehicle. When it arrived at the entrance to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, the car was traveling at an estimated speed of between 118 and 155 km/h. The speed limit at that point was 50 km/h. The car swerved inside the tunnel and collided violently with one of the pillars of the underpass. Paul and Al-Fayed died instantly. The Princess of Wales died hours later at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Trevor Rees-Jones, Diana's bodyguard in the service of the Al-Fayed family, was the only survivor. He suffered numerous fractures to his facial bones. Only he was wearing a seat belt. The Paris Prosecutor's Office obtained information through the Criminal Brigade with the aim of clarifying the causes of the incident. The investigation concluded, as would the later British investigation, that the driver was driving recklessly under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The toxicological studies carried out a few days after the accident under the direction of Professor Ivan Ricordel showed traces of prescription drugs for Paul as well as a blood alcohol level of 1.87 grams per liter of blood. That was more than three times the authorized limit for driving in France. A second test, commissioned by the Paris prosecutor's office, confirmed a rate of between 1.73 and 1.75 g/l. Paul was taking several medications at the time of his death: Prozac, an antidepressant, Noctamid, a sleeping pill, Tiapride, a neuroleptic often used against alcoholism and Aotal, an acamprosate. All these medications recommend not to drive if you consume them. The investigations established that Henri Paul had bank accounts for a total amount of approximately one million francs (around 152,400 euros) at the time of the events. He had in his possession on the night of the accident just over 1,900 francs (about 290 euros). This data fed several conspiracy theories which present Paul as an informant for the DGSE, MI6 or even Mossad. The paparazzi obtained (for a fee) information about the people who reported to him as head of security at Hôtel Ritz Paris. On September 3, 1999, the nine photographers and the motorcyclist accused of "involuntary homicides and injuries" as well as "failure to assist people in danger" did not come to trial. The charges were withdrawn. Paul was blamed as he was driving under the influence of alcohol and various psychotropic drugs.