On August 30, 1997, Diana and Dodi arrived in Paris after vacationing on a Mediterranean cruise. They planned to stay one night in the French capital and then return to Diana's home in England to see her two sons. They stopped at the Ritz hotel to freshen up before going to dinner. They had planned to go out and eat at a fashionable French bistro, then go back to Dodi's apartment in Paris. As they were leaving the hotel, the paparrazi followed them everywhere, so they decided to eat at the hotel for some privacy.

After dinner, the press was still waiting outside. They decided to use a decoy so they could escape them. One car left the front of the hotel. Diana and Dodi were in a black Mercedes in the back of the hotel waiting to leave. The car was driven by Henri Paul. They were accompanied by a bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. They left the hotel shortly after midnight. Photographers quickly figured out what they had done and some of them followed the car that Diana was in.

Much of what happened next is unclear. With photographers chasing them, the vehicle set off in a high speed chase. The car entered a traffic tunnel, reportedly traveling at speeds as high as 80 to 100 miles per hour. Inside the tunnel, the car spun out of control and hit the right wall. It then ricocheted diagnolly across the road and hit a pillar in the center of the tunnel. Paul and Dodi were killed instantly. Diana and Trevor Rees- Jones were seriously injured. Jones was the only survivor of the crash, and he was the only one wearing a seatbelt.

Her funeral was held on September 4, 1997 at St. Margaret's Church. After the service, they traveled 75 miles to the family's estate where they had a private burial for her. That service only had 10 members present.