According to a forensic pathologist, Princess Diana may have survived her "incredibly rare" fatal injury.

It has been over 28 years since the world mourned the passing of the People's Princess in a tragic vehicle crash. On August 31, 1997, the 36-year-old and her companion, Dodi Fayed, were trying to get away from paparazzi in Paris when the accident took place. It is alleged that their chauffeur, Henri Paul, lost control of the vehicle at the entrance to the Pont de l'Alma underpass. The car struck another vehicle before swerving across the tunnel and colliding with a column at approximately 65 mph.

All three occupants, with the exception of Dodi's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, died in the crash. Diana tragically suffered a cardiac arrest and died from internal bleeding as a result of severe chest and lung injuries.

Now, prominent forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd has claimed that she could have survived "if only" certain life-saving actions had been taken both before and immediately after the crash. After reviewing the case's evidence for his book, Unnatural Causes, which is scheduled for release on April 18, the pathologist stated that her specific injury—a tiny tear in a vein in one of her lungs—was so "uncommon" that he had never seen it before in his career.

“Diana’s was a very small injury but in the wrong place,” he stated.

However, the doctor is keen to dispel conspiracy theories, stating that her death from the injury she sustained is "indisputable."

Nevertheless, he described Princess Diana's death as a "classic example" of an "if only" situation, emphasizing that she would have likely avoided the horrific injury "if only" she had worn a seatbelt. Dr. Shepherd wrote: "Had she been restrained, she would probably have appeared in public two days later with a black eye, perhaps a bit breathless from the fractured ribs and with a broken arm in a sling.”

According to People, Mr. Rees-Jones, the sole survivor, was the only person in the car who was buckled up, which likely helped to absorb some of the force of Diana's collision into the back of his seat.

Dr. Shepherd added that another "if only" is a matter of her sitting position, as it's conceivable that she could have survived had she struck his seat at a slightly different angle or at a slower speed.

The second "if only" concerns her hospital care, as Diana was not immediately transported to the hospital because she appeared to be responsive. However, in reality, her ruptured vein was hemorrhaging into her chest.

Firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, a first responder on the scene, admitted that he was unaware that Diana had sustained "serious internal injuries." After revealing Diana's tragic final words to him, he told The Sun, "To be honest, I thought she would live. As far as I knew when she was in the ambulance she was alive and I expected her to live.”  

 

In 2004, a police investigation looked into whether the deaths were a result of an accident or if there were any suspicious circumstances. The investigation came to the conclusion that it was a "tragic accident."

Dr. Shepherd concurred with the inquiry's findings, adding in his book: "The pathology of her death is, I believe, indisputable. But around that tiny, fatal tear in a pulmonary vein are woven many other facts, some of which are sufficiently opaque to allow a multitude of theories to blossom."