Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana had a fiery and tense relationship. The queen was often frustrated with her daughter-in-law's unruly side, displeased with the princess' penchant for exposing the royal family to scandals. Being a media magnet and swaying the public to view the British monarchy as out of touch, the queen grew weary of Diana's manipulative ways.
A witness shares in the documentary, "Diana: 7 Days that Shook the Windsors," how Queen Elizabeth reacted to news that Diana died.
Queen assumed the worst
On the twentieth anniversary of Princess Diana's death, a slew of stories are coming out about the royal family and how they dealt with the tragedy behind closed doors.
Someone who was present when Queen Elizabeth learned of the news says she instantly assumed the car crash was intentional. The queen remarked, "Someone must have greased the brakes."
There was already mounting suspicion on the part of conspiracy theorists that the royal family had something to do with Diana's death in the Paris car wreck. Some suggested that somehow the Windsors could pull off an assassination attempt on the princess' life in such an erratic manner. Diana's boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, also died in the crash and his father, Mohamed Al Fayed, believed the British royals had a hand in their deaths. Investigators have gone over the scene and all that led up to those final moments without any evidence that the queen or Prince Charles had anything to do with it.
Conspiracy theories may renew
If it's true the queen believes that someone greased the brakes of the Mercedes sedan Diana was riding on the night she died, it may renew conspiracy theories once again. This is the first time information of this sort is getting out since 1997.
To protect Princes William and Harry from learning the devastating news, Queen Elizabeth ordered all televisions and radios be moved or hidden at the Balmoral estate out of concern they'd hear details about the crash.
William was 15 and Harry, 11, at the time of their mother's death. They slept in that morning before they were told of the fatal accident.
Queen Elizabeth was skewered by a grieving public when she didn't address Princess Diana's death for several days. She finally delivered a speech about the charitable efforts Diana represented and the contributions she made as a member of the royal family. For the majority, it was too little too late for the queen's response.
