Conspiracy theories that were all rejected

Published on Monday 7 April 2008 23:02

ONE of the key strands of the conspiracy theories surrounding their deaths was that Diana and Dodi had been about to announce their engagement.

The inquest heard evidence that a receipt from Repossi jeweller's showed that Dodi picked out a ring costing 115,000 French francs (11,500) from the firm's Dis-moi Oui (Tell me Yes) range, hours before the crash.

But Claude Roulet, the Ritz Hotel's assistant president, said Dodi had picked out the ring because it was the cheapest item in a selection of jewellery he brought to his room.

Alcohol concentrations of about 1.73g per litre – three times the French drink-drive limit – were found in blood and vitreous humour samples attributed to driver Henri Paul.

Mohamed al-Fayed claims that the samples were switched.

Experts were divided on the samples. Clinical pharmacologist Professor Atholl Johnston suggested the results had been "cooked", but a forensic sciences expert, Professor Peter Vanezis, accepted that there were "consistencies" between samples.

Claims of MI6 involvement were fuelled by the evidence of renegade spy Richard Tomlinson, citing an MI6 plan to kill a Balkan leader.