Brother of Henri Paul Objects to The Crown’s Recreated Crash Scene
The brother of Henri Paul, who died in the Paris car crash that also claimed Princess Diana in August 1997, has criticized Netflix’s The Crown for reimagining the fatal accident in a Paris tunnel. Reports have circulated in the Daily Mail about his reaction.
Alain Paul, residing in Lorient, France, told the publication that he does not want to keep viewing the wreckage of the vehicle that took his brother’s life. He described the repeated depiction as inhumane.
According to Alain Paul, the scene depicting Princess Diana’s death alongside the car crash that killed Henri Paul and Dodi Al-Fayed amounts to cruel entertainment. He says Netflix’s streaming format seems to bring the tragedy back into the public eye for profit, a move he questions on ethical grounds.
“I was not warned that they would revisit this tragedy for viewers,” he stated. “Again, people are trying to monetize the deaths of my sister and Princess Diana. I do not understand how they label this as part of the entertainment industry. For them, it’s a job. If it’s just a job, then they should consider sending me a check.”
Alain Paul noted that the topic of Princess Diana’s death tends to resurface each August, with familiar patterns repeating themselves every year as the anniversary approaches.
“It’s the same every time. At the end of August someone wants to sensationalize the victims’ deaths. Our family had to learn to live with it. It has affected us deeply. The pain persists, and now those who are gone are gone for good, leaving me to cope on my own,” commented Henri Paul’s brother.
There has been vocal pushback from members of the public and former associates regarding The Crown’s handling of the events surrounding Diana’s death, with some urging the series to refrain from continuing its dramatized retelling of the past.