Nearly 27 years after Princess Diana’s shocking death in a car crash in Paris, two men remain haunted by guilt: King Charles III and former royal bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones.
Rees-Jones, the sole survivor of the crash that claimed the lives of Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed, continues to battle emotional scars from the horrifying night of August 31, 1997. Meanwhile, palace sources say Charles, 76, has quietly admitted to close friends that he still believes he bears emotional responsibility for the events that drove Diana to her tragic end.
Bodyguard tormented by ‘what ifs’
Rees-Jones, then a 29-year-old former paratrooper working for billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, suffered life-threatening injuries and underwent multiple surgeries, including facial reconstruction using 150 titanium fragments.
Though he physically healed, Rees-Jones admitted in a memoir that he lives with the weight of moral failure. He believes he should have pushed back harder against Dodi’s decision to send decoy vehicles out front while he and Diana exited the Ritz Hotel from the rear in a car driven by security chief Henri Paul — who, unbeknownst to them, had been drinking.
He shared in his book The Bodyguard’s Story that he often questions why he didn’t stop the vehicle or demand another arrangement. Rees-Jones stated in Filipino that he still asks himself “Paano kung ako na lang ang namatay? Baka mas madali pa iyon.”
King Charles believes Diana’s death began with his betrayal
While Rees-Jones struggles with survivor’s guilt, palace insiders say King Charles carries the burden of emotional blame. He reportedly believes his long-standing affair with Camilla Parker Bowles — now Queen Consort — shattered his marriage and sent Diana down a path of despair.
According to a royal source, Charles once confided that Diana’s misery over his betrayal led her into Dodi’s arms and ultimately to her grave. The insider said in Filipino, “Alam niyang hindi siya direktang dahilan, pero siya ang ugat ng lahat ng sakit.”
Diana, 36, and Dodi, 42, had been dating for only a few weeks before the crash, which occurred while trying to evade paparazzi in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel. Their driver, Henri Paul, lost control of the vehicle at high speed.
Rees-Jones has revealed that he cannot remember the final moments and doubts his vague recollections. Still, he hears a woman’s voice saying Dodi’s name in his dreams — a voice he believes could have been Diana’s.
As King Charles faces declining health and public scrutiny, he has reportedly urged Prince William to protect Camilla’s future in the monarchy — a move seen as an effort to secure some form of redemption, even as his relationship with Prince Harry remains strained.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Her career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including International Business Times, Celebeat and Delightful Philippines. As a news editor, Jaja covered a wide range of beats, including legal, business, economy, cryptocurrency, personal finance, gaming, technology, and entertainment.