Princess Diana’s previous chauffeur has recently stepped forward, suggesting that the beloved princess might still be alive if he were at the wheel on that tragic night. It’s been 28 years since the heartbreaking accident, yet people are still engrossed in understanding the exact events of that fateful evening in 1997.

The world was shocked when the news of Princess Diana’s passing spread. On the early morning of August 31, 1997, Diana, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, their driver Henri Paul, and Fayed’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, were in a car speeding through the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. They were trying to evade a swarm of photographers.

Their driver, Paul, who was heavily intoxicated, reportedly lost control of the vehicle which then collided with a pillar. The crash was fatal. Both Paul and Fayed died instantly, while Princess Diana and Rees-Jones suffered severe injuries.

Despite all efforts from medical professionals at the hospital, Diana succumbed to her injuries and was declared dead at 4 a.m. The circumstances surrounding her death have been the topic of extensive debate ever since.

Steve Davies, Diana’s former chauffeur, has shared his conviction that she would be alive today if he hadn’t lost his position. He expressed his devotion, stating, “I’d have taken a bullet for Diana. My job was my life.”

Davies lamented the circumstances that led to his dismissal and noted, “If life had taken a different trajectory, if I’d been driving her that night in Paris, she would still be here today. I would’ve kept her safe.”

A veteran from the military, Davies revealed he learned the reason for his dismissal only after watching the Netflix series, The Crown. He claimed that journalist Martin Bashir falsely accused him of leaking inside information to the press, a ploy to gain Diana’s trust before his infamous Panorama interview.

Ken Wharfe, Diana’s personal protection officer from 1987 to 1993, supports Davies’ contentions. Wharfe has been vocal this year about the belief that imploring Rees-Jones to take the driver’s seat that night could have altered the course of history.

Wharfe said, “The one thing that would have saved Diana’s life that night would have been if they’d kicked out the chauffeur and for Rees-Jones to have driven.”

Unfortunately, Rees-Jones couldn’t do so because he didn’t have the authority to challenge Dodi Fayed’s command, leading to the devastation that we know today.

Moreover, Diana’s decision to release her royal security team was another factor Wharfe believes was pivotal. After her separation from Prince Charles, she opted to forgo the Scotland Yard team, a move Wharfe had advised against.

In a conversation shortly before Diana made her choice, Wharfe advised, “I urge you, I urge you, not to lose the Scotland Yard security because we have given you that freedom, we’ve broken rules to allow you to have the normality that you crave for, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t continue.”

Nevertheless, Diana decided to part with her security detail only weeks later. Wharfe is convinced that had Queen Elizabeth insisted, Diana might have retained her protection. Yet, choices made by those around her ultimately led to one of the most harrowing tragedies in modern history.