LONDON: Lawyers for the father of Princess Diana’s last boyfriend will again try and force Queen Elizabeth II and husband Prince Philip to give evidence at her inquest in London Tuesday, his spokeswoman said.
The move could be Mohamed El-Fayed’s final chance to force the royal couple to appear – the last witness is due to come before the court Tuesday – before lawyers make their closing speeches and the jury considers its verdict.
El-Fayed believes that Diana and his son Dodi Fayed were engaged and has claimed Prince Philip was linked to an establishment plot to kill them and stop her marrying a Muslim.
The couple died alongside chauffeur Henri Paul in a 1997 Paris car crash.
We are seeking leave to appeal for a judicial review this afternoon [Tuesday], said Katharine Witty, Al-Fayed’s spokesman.
Whatever happens, it is highly unlikely there will be any delay to the inquest running smoothly and to the timescale that has been decided by the coroner.
Earlier this month, the coroner judge Scott Baker ruled that the royal couple should not be asked to appear before the London hearing, which has lasted five months.
In my judgment it is not expedient to call the Duke of Edinburgh [Prince Philip] to give evidence, nor do I think the Queen should be asked to answer the questions posed, he said.
Neither step will, in my judgment, further the inquest process, he said after a day of legal argument. -AFP
