Princess Diana's bodyguards and Dodi were to blame for her death 

Princess Diana\'s bodyguards and Dodi were to blame for her death, claims her former protection officer

Ken Wharfe says he is "angry beyond words" that the Princess\' bodyguards "let her come to harm"

Diana\'s former bodyguard has told how her death in Paris should never have happened (Photo: PA)

Princess Diana\'s bodyguards and Dodi Fayed are to blame for her death during a high speed car crash in Paris, her former royal protection officer has claimed.

Ken Wharfe, who had guarded Diana for six years, says he is "angry beyond words" that the Princess\' bodyguards "let her come to harm".

He says one of her two bodyguards on the night, Trevor Rees-Jones, "had not received the training necessary to protect a member of the Royal Family".

Mr Wharfe says the former soldier made a "grave error" in allowing Dodi Fayed to try and \'beat the paparazzi\' before the high speed crash.

Diana was killed following a crash in the Pont de l\'Alma tunnel on August 31, 1997.

She had been on a night out in the French capital with her then boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

Two bodyguards employed by the Fayed family - Rees-Jones and Kes Wingfield - were looking after Diana on the night of her death.

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This image was taken shortly before the car crash that killed Diana. Henri Paul can be seen driving on the right with Trevor Rees-Jones on the left (Photo: PA)

The wreckage of Princess Diana\'s car in the Alma Tunnel of Paris following the crash (Photo: Getty)

Diana and Dodi were being driven through Paris by Henri Paul, who had earlier been seen drinking.

They were being followed at high speed by paparazzi.

Mr Wharfe says Diana\'s bodyguards should never have put her in that position.

He says Rees-Jones and Wingfield lacked experience and authority and should have overruled Fayed\'s plan to drive through Paris with photographers following behind.

Writing in his memoirs, which are being serialised in the Daily Mail , Mr Wharfe said: "I can say with certainty, drawing on decades of police experience , that Diana\'s death was not murder but a dreadful accident that should have been avoided.

Trevor Rees-Jones, who was protecting Diana on the night of her death (Photo: Getty)

"She was not the victim of shadowy figures who regarded her as an embarrassment to the Establishment, but of her boyfriend\'s erratic behaviour and her bodyguard\'s mistakes.

"....Dodi ordered Henri Paul to drive that night: the bodyguard should have stepped in, and refused to allow Diana into the car."

Mr Rees-Jones previously told how he was "unaware" that Paul was drunk behind the wheel.

He also said he was unhappy with the last-minute change of plan by Fayed for the couple to leave their hotel from a rear entrance.

As reported by the Telegraph, he said: "I wasn\'t happy as it meant Dodi would be splitting the security officers, but I went along with it.

"I advised Dodi that we could leave from the front of the hotel in two vehicles as the crowd and the press would be pushed back across the road at the front of the hotel.

The Prince and Princess of Wales on holiday with their children, Princes William and Harry, at the Spanish royal residence Marivent Palace, August 1987 (Photo: Getty)

"Initially I had been told that Dodi and Diana would travel without security and I said this would not happen, that I would travel in the vehicle with them."

Wingfield previously told how he and Rees-Jones had not been allowed to their jobs properly.

He said both bodyguards had argued against Dodi’s plan that night.

He told an inquest into Diana and Dodi\'s death: “If we had been allowed to do out jobs properly, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now.”

In her memoirs, Mr Wharfe also claimed a lover of Princess Diana caused a fire alert at Kensington Palace after smoking a cigar outside her bedroom in the early hours of the morning.

Married art dealer Oliver Hoare was found cowering outside Diana’s bedroom behind a large plant while smoking at 3.30am.

The old Etonian, who was a friend of Prince Charles, was allegedly discovered by the Princess’ former royal protection officer, Ken Wharfe.

Mr Wharfe said Diana\'s lover "looked almost pathetic" when he was discovered.

Oliver Hoare was one of Diana\'s lovers, according to her former bodyguard

Princess Diana with Oliver Hoare during Ascot Week in 1986

He also said Princess Diana used to play off her admirers against each other.

He says the Princess would often spend time with men at the houses of trusted friends. Diana also regularly used a friend\'s house to see fortune-tellers and mystics, Mr Wharfe claimed.

Mr Wharfe also wrote that it would be "impossible" for Diana\'s former lover James Hewitt to be Prince Harry\'s dad.

Wharfe said he became one of her closest confidants after taking on the role in the Metropolitan Police Royalty Protection Department in 1986.

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He said Princess Diana started up her affair with Army officer Hewitt after Prince Charles had begun seeing Camilla Parker Bowles again.

He said he believes the rumours were started by Charles\' friends - but says the claims were simply "mathematically wrong" pointing out Harry was born on September 15, 1984, but Diana didn\'t meet Hewitt until the summer of 1986.

James Hewitt had an affair with Princess Diana for five years (Photo: Getty)

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He also pointed out that Harry\'s red hair in fact comes from the Spencer side of the family.

The affair between Diana and Hewitt ended after he apparently told Wharfe: ‘Ken, I need some time off. The Princess can be so demanding.’

Hewitt took a promotion to major and was given command of a tank squadron, which meant a posting for two years to Germany.

Princess Diana sitting outside Highgrove with her son Prince Harry in 1986 (Photo: Getty)

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The affair eventually fizzled out, but was rekindled when he returned to Britain for a visit a year later.

It eventually ended after five years, which previous reports have suggested almost pushed Hewitt to suicide.

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