Downing Street deliberately blocked the release of details from a private conversation between then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac in the aftermath of Princess Diana's death, according to newly-declassified government files.
Confidentiality Trumps Public Interest
The papers, released to the National Archives in Kew, west London, reveal that while officials were content to publish dozens of other documents relating to the 1997 tragedy and funeral arrangements, the memo outlining the Blair-Chirac discussion was withheld. Officials argued that its publication was "fundamentally not in the public interest."
The request for these UK government files was made in 2005, among the first to be considered under the newly enacted Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. Most of the material was deemed unexceptional, with one official noting the papers showed Number 10 "getting on with the job under unique and unexpected circumstances."
A Question of Diplomatic Frankness
However, a clear line was drawn regarding the prime minister's dialogue with a foreign leader. The file explicitly states: "It is vital that the prime minister’s conversations with other world leaders are essentially confidential in nature." The justification continued, warning that releasing such details would likely limit the frankness of future diplomatic exchanges, a outcome not in the national interest.
Diana, Princess of Wales, died in the early hours of 31 August 1997 after a car crash in Paris's Pont de l'Alma tunnel. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver were also killed during a high-speed pursuit by photographers.
Scenes of Grief and Presidential Whereabouts
The files also shed light on the chaotic aftermath, revealing it took several hours for President Chirac's aides to locate and inform him of the event, leading to intense speculation about his location. His chauffeur later claimed the president had been with a mistress. The declassified papers do not indicate whether sensitivity over the president's movements that night influenced the decision to withhold the memo.
Among the released documents were telegrams from the then-British ambassador to France, Sir Michael Jay. He described the "extraordinary generosity, efficiency and sensitivity" of the French authorities and the profound public grief. "Wider public reaction is of great sadness amid great affection for the princess," he reported, noting the crowd's response as the cortege left the hospital.
This case highlights the enduring tension between public transparency under the FoI Act and the government's desire to maintain confidential diplomatic channels, a debate that continues to shape modern governance.
