The late Princess Diana shared a close and trusting relationship with her lawyer, Lord Mishcon. She is believed to have confided in him deeply, particularly during her tumultuous divorce from King Charles, which was handled by his firm, Mishcon de Reya, and finalized in 1996.
Diana reportedly expressed to Lord Mishcon her fear of dying in a car crash—a concern that weighed heavily on her mind.
After the princess tragically died in the 1997 car crash in Paris—alongside Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul—a lawyer shared her expressed concerns with senior officers from the Metropolitan Police. These accounts were then locked away in a secure location.
Despite the gravity of the information, the note outlining her fears wasn’t handed over to the French authorities until six years later.
Neither her siblings nor her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were aware of the existence of these letters for many years.
During his meeting with the police, the lawyer read aloud the contents of the note, which stated: “Efforts would be made, if not to eliminate her through some form of staged car accident—such as a tampered brake failure—then at least to cause her serious harm or portray her as mentally unstable.”
Mishcon died in 2006, but in a shocking move, Prince William has appointed Mishcon de Reya as his lawyers.
This new act may be controversial to some as it breaks away from royal tradition.
William has previously been represented by King Charles’s lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, particularly its partner, Gerrard Tyrrell.
During the royal phone-hacking scandal in 2006, where the News of the World reporters hacked into the mobile devices of Prince William and Harry, Harbottle & Lewis acted on behalf of the royal family.
The Daily Mail reports that this change has disappointed Harbottle & Lewis, who have represented the royal family for decades, and media law specialist Tyrrell is one of the King’s most trusted advisers.
Diana appointed Anthony Julius, the deputy chairman of Mishcon de Reya, as her legal representative when she divorced King Charles.
Julius worked with William as one of the founding trustees of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and was vice-president until its closure in 2012.
The move is reportedly due to Prince William’s desire to follow a different path from his father.
A source told the Daily Mail: “William wanted to strike out on his own. He did not want to continue using his father’s lawyers. It’s as simple as that. He wants to be his own man.”
