The inquest into Princess Diana's death reached a decisive phase as intimate testimony from those closest to her was heard in court.
Rosa Monckton - a confidante of the Princess of Wales, who spent a week cruising the Greek Isles with her during the summer of 1997 - said she could not have been expecting at the time of the crash.
"While we were on this boat she had her period and that was just ten days before she died," her friend told jurors.
Diana's pal also dismissed the theory that an engagement to Dodi was imminent, saying the Princess was "missing" her former companion, heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. "Dodi was a distraction... from the break-up of that relationship," emphasised Ms Monckton, who is the wife of Dominic Lawson, former editor of The Sunday Telegraph.
In another revealing moment extracts from affectionate letters, in which the Princess referred to the Duke of Edinburgh as 'Dearest Pa', were read to the jury.
As the Waleses marriage headed for stormy waters in 1992, Prince Philip tried to offer "marriage guidance", leading Diana to thank him for his "understanding and tact".
The correspondence counters the contention of lawyers acting for Dodi's family that the Duke had written "nasty" letters to his daughter-in-law.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
