Today in History: Princess Diana killed in car crash

Eighteen years ago today, Princess Diana of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris, France.

The tragic crash occurred in the Pont D'Alma tunnel, when the driver slammed into a pylon while trying to outrun paparazzi. Diana, her longtime friend Dodi Fayed and the driver Henri Paul were all pronounced dead at the scene; Diana's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only survivor.

%shareLinks-quote="She made us and so many other people happy. May this be the way that she is remembered." type="quote" author="Prince Harry" authordesc="Memorial for his mother" isquoteoftheday="false"%

After thorough investigation, it was determined that the driver was not only trying to escape paparazzi, he was also heavily intoxicated and driving at speeds over 80 mph through a narrow tunnel.

SEE ALSO: Today in History, Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorce

Diana's death was met with immense public grief, as her funeral at Westminster Abbey was held on September 6, 1997. The funeral was truly a worldwide event, with an estimated 3 million onlookers in London, and 2.5 billion people watching on television.

Singer Elton John performed a very emotional version of his song, "Candle in the Wind" at the funeral. Watch the beautiful rendition here:

Princess Diana was truly "the people's princess" and will always be remembered. See more photos of Diana here:

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