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Diana's 'Darling Dodi' letters
Sun, Dec 16, 2007 The Straits Times
LONDON - PRINCESS Diana's letters to 'Darling Dodi' were read on Friday at the British inquest into the deaths of the couple, giving a glimpse of the passion of a new romance that ended in a car crash in Paris. In a letter thanking Dodi Al-Fayed for a six-day holiday on his yacht in 1997, Diana (right) wrote: 'This comes with all the love in the world and as always a million heartfelt thanks for bringing such joy into this chick's life.' Mr Michael Mansfield, a lawyer for Dodi's father, Mr Mohamed Al-Fayed, also produced a letter which she had sent with a gift of cufflinks. 'Darling Dodi, these cufflinks were the very last gift from the man I loved most in the world, my father,' she wrote.

Diana and Dodi died in a car crash on Aug 31, 1997, in Paris. French and British police say that driver Henri Paul was well over the legal alcohol limit.

Dodi's father alleges that the two were about to become engaged and were murdered in a plot directed by Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, in part to keep a Muslim out of the royal circle.

His lawyers have also suggested that the security services may have wanted to stop Diana's campaign against land mines.

Mr Mansfield introduced the letters on Friday as he questioned Diana's friend Rosa Monckton, who had said on Thursday that she believed Diana was still recovering from a previous relationship when her romance with Dodi bloomed.

'She tended to speak and write in an extravagant way,' Ms Monckton said, but agreed that the sentiment was genuine.

AP