Lee Sansum protected Princess Diana during the last months of her life while working for her then-boyfriend, Dodi Fayed’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Sansum was responsible for the safety of Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, during a luxurious vacation in Saint Tropez, where they stayed on Mohammed’s superyacht. The officer had previously referred to the late princess as an “amazing woman”.
Just weeks after Sansum looked after Diana, her life was tragically cut short in a devastating car accident. He had previously expressed that if he had been on duty, he believed she would still be alive today.
Diana’s life ended abruptly on August 31, 1997, due to a tragic car crash in Paris that also took the lives of her boyfriend Dodi, 42, and their driver, Henri Paul.
They were attempting to evade paparazzi who were tailing their vehicle when the accident happened in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel.
“We drew straws to see who would be accompanying Trevor that weekend. I pulled a match and it was a long one. When I learned they were not wearing seatbelts in the crash, I understood why they didn’t survive. That shouldn’t have happened.
“It was standard practice for the family to wear seatbelts. It was an order sent down from the boss, Dodi’s dad, Mohamed Fayed. Dodi, in particular, hated wearing seatbelt and I always insisted on it.”
Diana lovingly called Lee “Rambo” while he served as her protector, though he’s not the sole former bodyguard to speak out about the tragic circumstances surrounding her untimely death at 36.
Ken Wharfe – who spent several years safeguarding Diana – has previously stated his belief that her death was preventable. “The one thing that would have saved Diana’s life that night would have been if they’d kicked out the chauffeur and for Rees-Jones to have driven,” he said.
Wharfe, who served Diana from 1987 to 1993, suggested that Dodi was a “difficult” boss, making it challenging for personnel to recommend using an alternative driver. He maintained that had Diana been urged by the late Queen Elizabeth to keep her police protection, the fatal crash likely wouldn’t have happened.
Lee Sansum also had high praise for Diana, and it appears she reciprocated the sentiment, even sending him a personal letter of gratitude for his diligent protection of her and her sons during their vacation. “William, Harry, and I very much wanted to write and thank you for taking such good care of us in Saint Tropez,” she penned.
“We realize that our presence, along with that of the media, made your job enormously difficult, and for that we apologize! However, we all had a magical ten days – which would not have been possible without your invaluable contribution and for that, we all send our warmest possible thanks.”
The heartbreaking news of Lee’s passing was announced by his wife Kate on Monday in an emotional social media post.
She wrote: “Since meeting in 1998, Lee Sansum has been my soul mate, hero, and most amazing man in my world. So I’m devastated to share that he is no longer with us. He had a fatal heart attack on Saturday morning at home.
“His huge presence will be missed around the world as much as it is in our household although his capacity for love, and the life skills he has shared have left a legacy that will never be lost. He’s forever loved and will always be with us. I love you more than ever ‘My Lovely Lee’.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
