Stop this disgusting insult to dying Diana

Rosa Monckton called the decision, which will cause Princes William and Harry great distress, “absolutely disgusting”.

Saying that the sickening photographs were only being included to attract viewers, she added: “They must have

released the fact that they were using this image as part of their publicity campaign.

“Why else would people want to tune in? It’s rather like how people stop on the motorway to look at car crashes.

“They are summoning people, they are saying ‘Roll up, roll up, come and look at this’.

“Diana is not here to defend herself. She can’t be hurt by it, but her boys can. Above all else, Diana was a mother.”

Miss Monckton added: “They should completely remove any photo of the immediate aftermath of the crash. It is intrusive.

“The moment of dying should be when you expect the greatest privacy and to intrude on that moment to sell a programme is absolutely disgusting. It is in appalling taste and deeply upsetting for her sons.”

But Channel 4 chiefs remained defiant as MPs and viewers  expressed their disgust.

The images will appear in a documentary entitled Diana: The Witnesses In The Tunnel to be screened on June 6 as part of the run-up to the tenth anniversary of her death. The pictures, taken by French photographers, reveal the final moments of Diana’s life in graphic detail. One shows a French doctor attempting to administer oxygen to the dying Princess.

It was the publication of this image by an Italian magazine last year that prompted Princes William and Harry to issue an unprecedented statement calling on the media to respect their mother’s dignity.

But Channel 4, which was last week censured over the Celebrity Big Brother race row, has chosen to ignore their appeal.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “The Princes have been very clear about this issue. They want their mother to be left in peace.”

A royal source added: “Images of this nature cause immense distress to the boys. We are talking about their mother’s dying moments being broadcast to the world. Nobody should have to suffer this sort of indignity, it is disgraceful and inexcusable.”

Shadow Culture Secretary Hugo Swire urged the station to scrap the documentary.

He said: “Diana, as well as being a public figure, was a mother. This kind of coverage must be deeply distressing. It is difficult to see who will be served from broadcasting such sensational and private material.”

John Beyer, of Mediawatch UK, said: “This shows a disgraceful lack of respect for the Princess and her relatives.”

But Channel 4’s head of history, science and religion, Hamish Mykura, insisted the images were a necessary part of a serious documentary.

He said: “There are photos of injured and dying people taken that night. Channel 4 elected not to use them because there is a question of taste and judgment.

“If there is one thing that is going to cause distress to relatives, it is irresponsible and inaccurate reporting of this story.”

A Channel 4 spokesman added: “These photographs are an important and accurate eye-witness record. We acknowledge there is great public sensitivity surrounding pictures of the victims and these have not been included.

Some photographs will be of the scene inside the tunnel but in none of the pictures is it possible to identify Diana or indeed any of the crash victims.

“Only one image shows the occupants of the car after the crash and it has been appropriately obscured to avoid any unwarranted intrusion.”

The Daily Express has been a lone voice in campaigning for the truth to be revealed behind the deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed.

We have run a series of articles highlighting doubts about the French inquiry’s verdict that the deaths were an accident.