A member of one of the emergency services who was first on the scene after a shocking car crash in Paris has revealed what Princess Diana said to him as he held her hand while comforting her

The tragic death of Princess Diana 26 years ago has had a significant impact on people around the world. In a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, the princess was only 36 years old, and her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the car were also killed.

The accident caused the car to crash into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in the French capital, and emergency services responded to the scene. These events will be explored in the sixth episode of Netflix’s The Crown, released on November 16.

Among those who tried to rescue Princess Diana was firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, who, upon seeing Diana, did not immediately realize who she was and assumed she was not seriously injured since her eyes were open and she was conscious.

He held her hand and reassured her before she was pulled from the car, telling her to remain calm. Afterward, Diane asked: “Oh my God, what happened?” but moments later, she sadly went into cardiac arrest.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Mr. Gourmelon said: ” Consequently, I massaged her heart, and after a few seconds, she started breathing again. Naturally, it was a relief because, as a first responder, you want to save a life, and that’s what I thought I had done. Frankly, I thought she was going to live. The moment she was in the ambulance, I knew she was alive, and I expected her to live. However, I found out later that she died in the hospital. It wasn’t enjoyable.

” Of course, I know now that she had serious internal injuries, but that whole episode is still in my memory. So, the memory of that night will stay with me forever. It didn’t occur to me then that it was Princess Diana. It was only when they put her in the ambulance that one of the paramedics told me it was her.”

Despite the best efforts of doctors, Diana was pronounced dead at 4 am local time (3 am in the UK) at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris. Outside Kensington Palace in London, mourners left many bouquets, cards, and photographs as a mark of respect for Princess Diana.