Princess Diana's former bodyguard Ken Wharfe has dismissed reports that the SAS was involved in her death in Paris nearly 16 years ago as a "stunt".
The Metropolitan Police revealed at the weekend that it is "assessing new information" about the deaths of Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in a Paris car crash in August 1997. It has since been reported that the British Army's elites special forces regiment are at the centre of those claims.
The allegations were made in a seven-page letter composed by the parents of the estranged wife of 'Soldier N'.He is a former member of the SAS and a key prosecution witness at the recent second court martial for former SAS sniper Danny Nightingale, who was convicted for obsessing an illegal firearm.
The letter, which was censored before being released to the court martial, states, "He (Solider N) also told her (the daughter) that it was the XXX who arranged Princess Diana's death and that it had been covered up. So what chance to my daughter and I stand against his threats?"But Mr Wharfe, the Princess's former Metropolitan Police bodyguard, has questioned why it has taken so long for the allegations to be aired.
"The police have to look at it because of the level of crime alleged," he told the Telegraph.
"If these parents were so concerned that this information was relevant or had some general import, then they should have delivered it to the inquest.
"Why has it taken to long to air this new information? It seems so shallow to me. I just think it's a bit of a publicity stunt. For what reason I'm not certain, but in the absence of any real evidence, I'm sure this will go away.
"Former chief superintendent Dai Davies, the Met's head of royal protection at the time Diana died, echoed Mr Wharfe, adding that an inquest and two police inquiries had proved her death was "an accident by any definition"."I'm mystified… how any new information can possibly allege anything other than (that) this was a tragic accident," he said.