Prince Philip not to be called to give evidence at inquest
Prince Philip will not be called to give evidence at the inquest into the death of Princess Diana
Friday, 07, Mar 2008 10:17
The Duke of Edinburgh will not be called to give evidence at the inquest into the death of Princess Diana, Lord Justice Scott Baker has said.
The coroner released a statement today claiming that in his judgement it was not required for Prince Philip or the Queen to give evidence at the inquest or be subjected to questions from Michael Mansfield, representing Mohammed al-Fayed.
"In my judgement it is not expedient to call the Duke of Edinburgh to give evidence, nor do I think the Queen should be asked to answer the questions by Michael Mansfield. Neither step will in my judgement further the inquest process," the statement said.
Mr al-Fayed has claimed that Prince Philip and the British secret service were responsible for the 1997 Paris car crash that killed his son Dodi al-Fayed and Princess Diana.
The Harrods' owner was said to be disappointed at the decision and his spokeswoman Katherine Witty claimed: "He hopes the coroner will make publicly know the reasons for the decisions."
Dodi-al Fayed and the Princess of Wales were killed along with their driver Henri Paul when the car they were driving was involved in a car crash in a Paris tunnel on August 31st 1997.
The inquest into their deaths continues.