Diana Inquest: Princess's Sensitive Items Are Still Missing
Written by Joanne Leyland
Monday, 28 January 2008
Page 1 of 3
A number of sensitive items which belonged to Diana, Princess
of Wales continue to be missing
according to an acting detective inspector who worked on the Burrell trial.
Giving evidence at the High Court inquest into the deaths of the princess and
her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, acting detective inspector Roger Milburn
acknowledged that a number of items which Diana locked in a wooden box remain
missing.
These are believed to include letters to Diana from Prince Philip as well as a signet ring from
her former lover, James Hewitt, and the resignation letter of the princess’s
Private Secretary, Patrick Jephson.
The detective was asked about an apparent discrepancy between his
recollections and those - as previously aired at the Old Bailey trial
of Paul Burrell - of the princess's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale.
The former butler was acquitted in November 2002 of all charges of theft from Diana's estate.
Referring to the correspondence, Mr Burnett QC asked the detective during cross-examination at the Royal Courts of Justice today: "Now
it's Lady Sarah's recollection that the box didn't have any letters
from Prince Philip in it when she saw it at Kensington Palace and that
she didn't mention that to you: she mentioned correspondence concerning
the divorce. Are you able to help on that at all?"
Responded Mr Milburn in relation to the
assertion by Diana's sister that no letters from the Duke of Edinburgh
were ever contained in the box which Diana kept in her private
apartments at Kensington Palace: "The only thing I would like to
say in respect to that is this is a note I made at the time. I would
have had no reason to write "Letters, Prince Philip" at all, and I
think Lady Sarah must be mistaken due to the length of the time that's
passed since we had the meeting."
Diana's sister is currently giving evidence, having only entered the court at 2pm.
