London (CNN) A newly revealed claim of conspiracy in the death of Princess Diana has royal watchers buzzing once again nearly 16 years after the woman who would now be a royal grandmother died in a Paris car crash.
But British police seem to be knocking down the claim that the British military was involved in the deaths of Diana her boyfriend and driver in August 1997.
This is not a re investigation London police tersely stressed in a statement that revealed none of what it had been told.
The claim appears to have been sent first to military authorities and then London police by the parents in law of a British special forces sniper after his marriage had fallen apart according to an article on the website of the Sunday People newspaper. It did not offer a source for its reporting.
Sunday People said it had seen a seven page handwritten letter by the in laws alleging that the soldier whom the newspaper did not name had boasted to his wife that the elite British Special Air Service commando unit was behind the deaths.
The future princess Lady Diana Spencer on her first birthday at Park House Sandringham on July 1 1962. Diana is seen during a summer holiday in Itchenor West Sussex in 1971. Diana at age 14 is kissed by her pony Scuffle in 1974. Before marrrying Prince Charles Diana worked as a nanny. Here she is seen with two of her charges in 1980 the year before she married. Lady Diana and Prince Charles in 1980. Prince Charles and Diana arrive at Goldsmith Hall in London for a charity recital in March 1981. Lady Diana attends the Royal Ascot horse race on June 18 1981. Diana and Charles were wed on July 29 1981. The princess clad in an Emanuel wedding dress leaves St. Paul's Cathedral with her husband. Diana and Charles leave St. Mary's Hospital after the birth of their first son Prince William on July 22 1982 in London. Prince Harry shows a bit of his personality which doesn't appear to please his mother on June 11 1988 on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Diana listens to children during a visit to the British international school in Jakarta Indonesia on November 6 1989. Diana sits on Banana Beach during a trip to the West Indies on Januray 4 1993. Diana and Harry are accompanied by family friend Catherine Soames and her son Harry during a pre Easter skiing trip in Lech Austria on March 24 1994. Diana is seen at the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington on June 17 1997. Diana was passionately involved in the British Red Cross Landmine Campaign. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 New info on Diana's death surfacesThe U.K.'s Ministry of Defence told CNN only that this is for Metropolitan Police to investigate.
Military authorities have been aware of the claim since the 2011 court martial of the soldier's former roommate on weapons charges Sunday People reported. The unnamed soldier mentioned in the letter was a witness in that case according to the newspaper.
Neither the Sunday People piece nor an earlier version carried by Press Association offered details of the claimed involvement by soldiers in the deaths.
Diana 36 and Dodi Fayed her 42 year old boyfriend died when the Mercedes Benz they were traveling in hit a pillar in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris.
They were being followed at the time by the paparazzi after leaving the Ritz Hotel. Their driver Henri Paul also killed was drunk and driving at high speed investigators concluded. Bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones was the sole survivor.
The princess left behind her two children Prince William whose wife recently gave birth to Diana's first grandchild and Prince Harry. Some 2.5 billion people around the world watched Diana's funeral.
A British coroner's inquest in 2008 concluded that their deaths were the result of grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes. The inquest found no evidence of murder.
Yet the deaths have always been paired with conspiracy theories accusing British and French intelligence services and members of British royalty of orchestrating her death.
Diana remains wildly popular in death and news of the new claim sparked an immediate surge in discussion of her death on news sites and social media.
But many seemed skeptical.
Is it just me or does it (seem) like a Princess Diana conspiracy hits around this time of year every year Twitter user DMR09 posted.
The rumors come to light weeks before the 16th anniversary of Diana's death and a little more than a month before the British premier of Diana a new movie about the former princess' life.
It's unclear whether these allegations will make it any farther than previous claims have. London police certainly aren't about to make any big announcements based on the terse closing line of their statement.
Not Prepared to Discuss Further Scotland Yard said in its statement.
Rare photo of teenage Diana sold for $18 369
Michael Pearson wrote and reported from Atlanta Atika Shubert reported from London CNN's Bharati Naik also contributed to this report.
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