Britain's most senior police officer today visited the hotel from where Princess Diana set out on her final journey.
Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir John Stevens saw the back exit by which Diana left the Ritz Hotel in Paris just minutes before she died in a car crash.
He has been asked by Royal Coroner Michael Burgess to investigate the circumstances of Diana's death on August 31st, 1997, and to separate fact from fiction.
He will oversee the investigation which is being led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Brown of the Metropolitan Police. Sources said the inquiry is expected to last into next year.
After arriving in the French capital by Eurostar, Sir John and a team of British detectives were driven past the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, where Diana died. Sir John then went to the Ritz where he went inside for about 10 minutes.
He was shown the door at the back where Diana and Dodi Fayed left in a bid to avoid photographers.
Sir John then inspected a revolving door before being driven away from the hotel. He said he wanted to see the Ritz Hotel for himself so he could get a feel for the detail of the events which led up to Diana's death.
Later the Pont de l'Alma tunnel was due to be closed by French gendarmes so that Sir John could inspect the crash scene on foot.
PA