French police chief Martine Monteil has recalled the moment she discovered Princess Diana’s pearls in the wreckage of the 1997 car crash in Paris that killed the mum-of-two.
Martine was the lead investigator on the case, and searched the crime scene for “little clues” in a bid to piece together what happened.
She was the first to arrive on the scene and ended up becoming “obsessed” with finding even the smallest piece of evidence.
Speaking on Channel 4’s Investigating Diana: Death In Paris documentary – which airs tonight, Sunday 21 August, ahead of the 25th anniversary of her death later this month – Martine said: “We started to find these little clues."
“We saw signs of braking," she continued. "Pieces of red light from another car. On the side of the car were traces of paint.
“I was obsessed with finding things because it's important.”
Martine went on: “I even found some tiny pearls. They belonged to the Princess.”
Brigade Criminelle officer Eric Gigou was also interviewed as part of the four-part documentary and explained how they used paparazzi photos to work out what happened before and after the fatal crash.
“We reconstructed the route they took,” he explained. “Tried to discover all the witnesses, people who might have crossed paths with the car, seen motorcycles, seen something.
“For us it's a race against time that started the moment we were given the case because human memory is volatile and over time memories fade.
“The paparazzi are in custody. From their photos, we could see the last minutes before the accident. We could identify the people around the vehicle in the seconds afterwards.”
As well as interviews from the members of the French force, the docuseries features chats with Metropolitan Police officers.
It also probes the Scotland Yard chiefs' handling of a note detailing Diana's fears she would be killed in a staged car accident, Mail Online reports.
Diana penned the note to her lawyer Lord Mishcon two years before her death, who then passed it on to the police.
It’s thought the note may feature in Prince Harry’s upcoming tell-all book. The memoir’s said to echo his mother’s “fearless desire for freedom”.
DIANA'S LIFE AND LEGACY, OK! COLLECTOR'S EDITION
- We pay tribute to Princess Diana on the 25th anniversary of her untimely death with a special commemorative issue.
- Royal experts provide exclusive insight into her difficult childhood, her marriage to Prince Charles and her status as the ultimate fashion icon.
- We look back at her devotion to sons, Princes William and Harry, and reveal how she would feel about their fractured relationship.
OK!'s Diana, Princess of Wales special edition is on sale now, priced £9.99. It is available to buy in stores and online here
With the highly anticipated book soon coming out, Diana’s former private voice and presence coach Stewart Pearce opened up to OK! about the similarities the Duke bears to his mother, and insisted that Harry inheriting his mother’s bravery and being ready to face the consequences of telling his own story lead him to sign the memoir deal.
Investigating Diana: Death in Paris begins at 9pm tonight on Channel 4.
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