Princess Diana was adored by people everywhere. She was relatable, had a great sense of humor, was a loving mom, and inspired many as a fantastic role model.
The sad car crash in Paris that took Diana’s life is something that people will always remember. People everywhere were heartbroken over her loss, and her memory will live on forever.
What actually took place that night in Paris? And what kind of injuries did she have? Now, Dr. MonSef Dahman, the surgeon who attempted to save Diana’s life during that terrible night, is sharing his story for the first time.
Diana’s death surprised everyone in the country, and her two sons, William and Harry, suddenly lost their mom. The awful car accident and what might have caused it have been talked about a lot. But now, someone who was right in the middle of this sad event has come forward to share their story.
Princess Diana – Surgeon MonSef Dahman
Surgeon MonSef Dahman was at a hospital in Paris when he was given the important job of trying to save Diana’s life.
In a new interview with Daily Mail, he’s told the entire story of what really happened.
“The thought that you have lost an important person, for whom you cared personally, marks you for life,” he told the British news outlet.
Dahman wasn’t actually scheduled to work that night. He was a young general surgeon at the largest hospital in France, and his wife was expecting their second child. They had plans to go on vacation outside of Paris, but since his wife was pregnant, they chose to stay home instead.
Dahman ended up working the whole summer. Being a junior doctor meant his shifts were super long. That weekend, he began his shift at 8 in the morning and was still on duty until 2 in the morning the next day.
Dahman recalled it being a “pretty easy” day. He was able to take some moments of rest, and hadn’t been asked to perform any difficult procedures.
But at 2am in the morning, everything changed dramatically.
Didn’t know it was Princess Diana
At around 12:23 AM, the car that Diana was in had an accident in a tunnel in Paris. Doctors worked on her for a long time at the scene, but she went into cardiac arrest while being taken to the hospital in the ambulance.
By six minutes past two in the morning, Diana had reached the hospital.
While I was taking a break in the duty room, I received a call from Bruno Riou, the senior duty anaesthetist. He asked me to head to the emergency room. Dahman shared with the Daily Mail, “I didn’t know it was Lady Diana at the time; I was just informed that there had been a serious accident with a young woman.”
Dahman was 33 years of age at the time. When he arrived from the rest room, located about 50 meters from the emergency department, he understood how serious things were.
As he entered the room, he was told that the person on the stretcher was Princess Diana.
“It only took that moment for all this unusual activity to become clear to me,’ he recalled.
It’s really important for any doctor or surgeon to deal with a young woman in this situation. It’s even more significant if she happens to be a princess.
Upon Diana’s arrival at the hospital, she underwent an X-ray that revealed she had suffered serious internal injuries. She immediately received a blood transfusion.
Her heart would not restart
Just 15 minutes after arriving, Diana suffered another cardiac arrest. Dahman performed a surgical procedure, but the Princess’s injuries were too grave.
Her heart simply would not restart.
Dahman explained, “We attempted electric shocks multiple times, and just like I did in the emergency room, I performed cardiac massage. Professor Riou gave her adrenaline, but we still couldn’t get her heart to start beating again.”
Dahman and his medical team worked really hard to save Diana’s life. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do in the end. He mentioned that the hospital, Pitié-Salpêtrière, is one of the top places in France for handling emergencies like this. Helping people who come in for treatment makes him feel “happy and proud.”
In Diana’s case, he felt hope at the beginning. But ultimately, they couldn’t save her.
We put in a lot of effort and worked really hard, he explained. “Honestly, when you’re in those tough situations, you lose track of time. The most important thing is that we do everything we can to help this young woman.”
“We could not save her. And that affected us very much.”
Recalls it like it was yesterday
As August gets closer each year, MonSef Dahman, who is now a surgeon in Antibes, France, remembers that awful night at the hospital back in 1997. Just like millions of others around the globe, he watched the funeral, and it was such a heartbreaking event.
He mentioned to the Daily Mail, “I don’t revisit it often since so many years have passed. However, whenever a new book about Diana’s death is released in France, I always receive a copy. So now, I have a collection of those books, which is kind of sad.”
Princess Diana is still loved by people all around the world, as her spirit and legacy lives on. A new documentary about the late Princess is set to air soon.
In the 90-minute movie, according to Express, new details about Princess Diana’s final days will be revealed. Journalist and royal expert Richard Kay is featured in the documentary, and he shared that he was the last person to talk to Diana before the awful car accident.
“I spoke to her that night. The police said that the last call she made was to me,” Kay recalled.
New Diana documentary
A year before she died, Diana and Prince Charles got divorced. Some reports say that Diana was scared the Queen and Charles were trying to keep her away from her sons, Harry and William. This information comes from biographer Howard Hodgson, who wrote the book “Charles: The Man Who Will Be King” in 2007.
“She was well aware that the Queen had the constitutional right and authority under common law to take control of both boys’ care and education,” Hodgson wrote.
She could end up being the boys’ guardian or even choose someone else to take that role. Most likely, it would be their dad, and if that happens, Diana might get left out completely if she cuts ties with the Royal Family for good.
After breaking up with Prince Charles, Richard Kay mentioned that he thought Diana was doing pretty well. She was beginning a fresh start in her life, but then, out of nowhere, everything was taken from her and her kids.
“She was desperate to try and make a fresh start and do something different, to explore a different kind of Royalty,” Kay said. “And she wanted to come back and see her boys.”
“The most mourned person who ever lived”
A new documentary about Princess Diana is set to honor her “incredible life.” Executive Producer David Glover mentioned that this documentary is arriving at the “ideal moment to look back at her life and what she left behind.”
Princess Diana had a special kind of magic about her. Even though she faced many challenges in her personal life, she was able to connect with people and make a big difference in the world, according to Glover.
Her 60th birthday seems like the ideal moment to look back on her life and what she has accomplished. It’s a chance to think about how she transformed from a not-so-famous teenager into the most beloved person in history.
In 2017, Harry and William shared the exciting news about a new statue of their mom. The statue is set to be revealed on July 1 in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.
Harry is set to go to the unveiling of his mother’s statue, but Meghan Markle won’t be joining him. She will be at their home in Montecito, looking after their new baby, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
Meghan just had a baby and isn’t planning to go to London for the memorial event for the statue unveiling, a source told Entertainment Tonight.
Harry & William on their mother
In 2017, on the 20th anniversary of Diana’s passing, Harry and William got together and talked about their mother.
Harry explained, “Whenever someone asks, ‘She was so funny, can you show us an example?’ all I can think about is her laugh.”
She was one of the most mischievous parents. She would come to watch us play football and sneak candy into her socks. After a game, she’d be walking back with five bags of candy! Her shirt was practically stuffed with sweets.
William expressed, “We really felt her love, and I’m super thankful that it still feels present. It seems like a great moment to think about her and maybe show a different perspective.”
”It was that love, even though she was on the other side of the room, as her son you could feel it,” Harry added.
Being part of the Royal Family while growing up must be really unique. There’s always plenty of money, but it also means having a lot of duties and responsibilities to handle.
New Princess Diana letters revealed
Just how much of a ‘normal’ childhood William and Harry had with their mother is hard to tell. But recently, an old letter written by Princess Diana surfaced.
In the letter, we catch a quick but lovely look at William and Harry’s childhood. It also shows the unique bond they shared as kids.
The letter from Diana was written in March of 1985, just six months after the birth of her youngest son, Harry.
William really loves his little brother and always showers Harry with tons of hugs and kisses, barely giving their parents a chance to get close! This is what Diana wrote in her letter, according to The Sun.
A letter addressed to Cyril Dickman, who used to be a steward at Buckingham Palace, was auctioned off in Cambridge in 2017.
Princess Diana shared in her letters that Prince Harry, who was older at the time, was always getting into trouble at school. She also talked about the happiness she felt as a mom and mentioned a tough time in her life that was coming up.
Took William and Harry out for fast food
Princess Diana frequently brought William and Harry to amusement parks and other exciting places. However, she was also aware of the responsibilities that came with being royal, like having meals available at all times.
She knew the importance of William and Harry being just as any other child, even though they were royals. With this in mind, she would sneak them out of the palace to go and get fast food on occasion.
One day, the princess walked into the kitchen and announced, “Forget about lunch for the boys! I’m taking them out to McDonald’s,” said Darren McGrady, who used to be her personal chef, in an interview with Marie Claire.
“And I said, ‘Oh my God – your Royal Highness, I can do that, I can do burgers.’ And she said, ‘No, it’s the toy they want.’”
Princess Diana will always hold a special place in our hearts. We are grateful to MonSef Dahman and the entire medical team for their efforts to save her life. You and all healthcare workers are true heroes to us.
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