8:04pm UK, Thursday April 22, 2004

An American TV channel has come in for widespread criticism for showing photographs of a dying Diana, Princess of Wales.

Friends and family of the princess have expressed their "revulsion" at the pictures shown on CBS.

Diana hours before her death

Her brother, Earl Spencer, said he was "shocked and sickened" while a friend of the princes said it was "revolting and disgusting".

Lord St John of Fawsley said neither Prince William nor Prince Harry would watch the programme.

"It will be horrible for them as it continues to be," he added.

Lord St John said the boys, and Prince Charles, are likely to be "deeply upset" by the programme and he called for the pictures not to be shown in the UK.

The grainy black and white photocopies, from a French investigation report, showed Diana being treated by a doctor as she lay slumped in the back of her crashed car.

It was the first time that photographs of Diana, taken by paparazzi moments after the 1997 car crash in Paris, have been shown in public.

Her brother said in a statement: "Lord Spencer and his family are shocked and sickened by CBS's actions."

Diana had her eyes closed in the pictures which were confiscated by police at the scene.

The princess died from internal injuries hours after the car slammed into the 13th pillar of the tunnel, while being followed by photographers.

The pictures, shown for 10 seconds, were on the 48 Hours Investigates programme and taken from a confidential 4,000-page accident report compiled by French investigators.


In his monthly media briefing, Tony Blair said: "I think everyone finds it distasteful that there are pictures that can cause distress to the family."

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the princess' death will be the subject of a new French film, focusing on a fictionalised account of the driver of the mysterious Fiat Uno believed to have clipped Diana's Mercedes moments before the crash.

The CBS report sought to dispel many of the conspiracy theories about the death of the world's most photographed woman.

It concluded that her chauffeur, Henri Paul, was over the legal alcohol limit to drive and had taken a number of prescription drugs.

It found that the crash, which also killed Diana's lover, Dodi Fayed, as well as Mr Paul, was an accident.

Dodi's father, Mohamed al Fayed, accused CBS of cashing in on the tragedy.

He said: "This was a crime - the murder of two innocent people. CBS obviously don't care about the appalling effect of showing images of murder victims.

"They simply want to cash in on the tragedy. It is disgraceful and insensitive of them to do this. It is devastating for me and for Prince William and Prince Harry."

Clarence House has declined to comment on the broadcast.