A Day That Shook The World: Diana dies in Paris car crash

(AFP/Getty)

On 31 August 1997, the world was stunned when Diana Princess of Wales died in a horrific car crash in Paris in the small hours of the morning.

Diana had recently embarked on a romance with Dodi al-Fayed, and was being hounded by paparazzi eager to get pictures of the couple. Dodi and Diana were seen leaving The Ritz hotel by the back door after dinner, and were chased by a pack of photographers.

While many details are hotly contested, it seems that their driver had been drinking before the crash. Three of the four occupants of the vehicle, including the couple, died at the scene, prompting a global outpouring of grief, and a crisis for the monarchy.

Watch original British Pathe footage from the scene of the accident, above.