Nominal fine for Diana crash paparazzi

Three photographers were ordered to pay one euro in damages for breaching privacy laws when taking pictures of Princess Diana on the night of her fatal crash, a French court has ruled.

The single euro divided between the trio will be paid to Mohamed al Fayed, the Egyptian-born millionaire and father of Dodi al Fayed, Diana's companion who also died in the crash.

Diana, Dodi and chauffeur Henri Paul were killed on August 31, 1997 when their Mercedes car crashed in a tunnel as it sped away from the Ritz hotel in the French capital with paparazzi photographers in hot pursuit on motorbikes.

These photographers were found to have invaded the death couple's privacy twice - taking pictures near the Ritz hotel in Paris and by taking photos of the Princess after the accident in the Alma tunnel.

Although a French inquiry in 1999 ruled that the crash was caused by Paul being drunk and driving too fast, the circumstances of the crash still cause controversy.

Al Fayed maintains that the couple were murdered by British secret services because their relationship was embarrassing the royal household and Diana's brother Spencer blamed the paparazzi for killing the couple.

But this nominal fine today - for invasion of privacy - somehow takes away the blame from them.

I wonder how Al Fayed will feel about the one euro fine.

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