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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap: Conspiracy Theories in Princess Diana's Death
Aired January 07, 2004 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Overseas today, it's Diana, Diana, Diana. Some startling accusations swirling around the princess and Britain's inquest into her death.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, joins us now.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: It's all over the papers in Britain.
CLINCH: Good morning again.
It is, and it was. I was just in London a couple of days ago, and it has been all over the papers, this inquest. And, of course, we've known about this since before Christmas that they were going to have this inquest.
One of the most interesting things that has come out this morning, one of the lingering sorts of myths/reports on Princess Diana at the time of her death was that she might have been pregnant. A former corner, a British coroner, who examined her body after her death told the "London Times" today, definitively, she was not pregnant. In his words, "I looked into her womb."
COSTELLO: That's so odd.
CLINCH: Rather a strange way to say it, but that is as close as we've had to medical confirmation that she was not pregnant.
Now, that's relevant because, along with this speculation about whether or not there might have been some conspiracy or something comes from Dodi Fayed's father, and one of the things that he has always said is that he thought that she might be pregnant and that that might have led to some sort of conspiracy.
Now, again, this is not official word that she was not pregnant, but it's a medical official who examined her.
COSTELLO: Well...
CLINCH: That takes away -- the newspapers in Britain are indicating that that takes away, to a certain extent, from his argument, if she was not pregnant.
But, of course, this is a question you were addressing with our London reporters earlier: Why are they having this inquest if this is not being taken too seriously, as we're being told again and again and again in Britain? Nobody officially is taking the suggestion of a conspiracy that seriously.
And I said this before Christmas, and I'll say it again: It's the rules. The British waited for the French investigation to end before they had their investigation, and they are going to have this investigation in the most thorough way they possibly can, because they want to be able to dismiss it. They want to be able to say it's over and we did it properly, and not have this repeated question of why didn't you do this, why didn't you do that, why didn't you do the other?
COSTELLO: Well, one of the most interesting facets is this allegation that this letter was written by Princess Diana, and it accuses Prince Charles of possibly orchestrating her death by a traffic accident.
CLINCH: Right.
COSTELLO: And they're actually going to question Prince Charles now.
CLINCH: Well, I should caution. First of all, that report is in a British tabloid newspaper, the "Daily Mirror." They have reported that the letter was written by Princess Diana and named Prince Charles. We haven't confirmed that. Nobody has confirmed that, other than that newspaper -- that tabloid newspaper report. It may or may not be true.
The question of who they're going to look into, who they're going to bring before this inquiry has not been confirmed at this point. But, again, there are all indications that they will question everybody that needs to be questioned in order to put it to bed, not because of a strong belief in the conspiracy, but only because they do not want to leave any stone unturned.
COSTELLO: And we probably won't know anything definitive for what? Oh, about a year?
CLINCH: Six months or so. I'll probably be coming back a few times to London before we get any final word, but it will come eventually.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, David.
CLINCH: All right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Diana's Death>
Aired January 7, 2004 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Overseas today, it's Diana, Diana, Diana. Some startling accusations swirling around the princess and Britain's inquest into her death.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, joins us now.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: It's all over the papers in Britain.
CLINCH: Good morning again.
It is, and it was. I was just in London a couple of days ago, and it has been all over the papers, this inquest. And, of course, we've known about this since before Christmas that they were going to have this inquest.
One of the most interesting things that has come out this morning, one of the lingering sorts of myths/reports on Princess Diana at the time of her death was that she might have been pregnant. A former corner, a British coroner, who examined her body after her death told the "London Times" today, definitively, she was not pregnant. In his words, "I looked into her womb."
COSTELLO: That's so odd.
CLINCH: Rather a strange way to say it, but that is as close as we've had to medical confirmation that she was not pregnant.
Now, that's relevant because, along with this speculation about whether or not there might have been some conspiracy or something comes from Dodi Fayed's father, and one of the things that he has always said is that he thought that she might be pregnant and that that might have led to some sort of conspiracy.
Now, again, this is not official word that she was not pregnant, but it's a medical official who examined her.
COSTELLO: Well...
CLINCH: That takes away -- the newspapers in Britain are indicating that that takes away, to a certain extent, from his argument, if she was not pregnant.
But, of course, this is a question you were addressing with our London reporters earlier: Why are they having this inquest if this is not being taken too seriously, as we're being told again and again and again in Britain? Nobody officially is taking the suggestion of a conspiracy that seriously.
And I said this before Christmas, and I'll say it again: It's the rules. The British waited for the French investigation to end before they had their investigation, and they are going to have this investigation in the most thorough way they possibly can, because they want to be able to dismiss it. They want to be able to say it's over and we did it properly, and not have this repeated question of why didn't you do this, why didn't you do that, why didn't you do the other?
COSTELLO: Well, one of the most interesting facets is this allegation that this letter was written by Princess Diana, and it accuses Prince Charles of possibly orchestrating her death by a traffic accident.
CLINCH: Right.
COSTELLO: And they're actually going to question Prince Charles now.
CLINCH: Well, I should caution. First of all, that report is in a British tabloid newspaper, the "Daily Mirror." They have reported that the letter was written by Princess Diana and named Prince Charles. We haven't confirmed that. Nobody has confirmed that, other than that newspaper -- that tabloid newspaper report. It may or may not be true.
The question of who they're going to look into, who they're going to bring before this inquiry has not been confirmed at this point. But, again, there are all indications that they will question everybody that needs to be questioned in order to put it to bed, not because of a strong belief in the conspiracy, but only because they do not want to leave any stone unturned.
COSTELLO: And we probably won't know anything definitive for what? Oh, about a year?
CLINCH: Six months or so. I'll probably be coming back a few times to London before we get any final word, but it will come eventually.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, David.
CLINCH: All right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Diana's Death>
