Princess Diana's bodyguard made chilling claim about car crash before his death

One of the former bodyguards of has sadly passed away at 63 after suffering a fatal heart attack in his home. Lee Sansum, a former royal military police officer, protected Diana in the final months before her death when he was working for her then-boyfriend father,

He took care of Diana and her sons and while they enjoyed a lavish holiday in Saint Tropez, where they stayed on Mohammed's superyacht. The officer previously called the late royal an "amazing woman".

Only a few weeks after Lee took care of Diana, her life was cut short prematurely in a terrible car accident - and he previously claimed that if he had been on duty, he believed she would still be alive.

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Diana died on 31 August 1997, after a tragic car accident in Paris that also claimed the lives of her boyfriend Dodi, 42, and Henri Paul - the driver. They were trying to get away from paparazzi who were following their vehicle when the accident occurred in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel.

Paul had been drinking before he got behind the wheel of the car and was driving at seriously high speeds in the tunnel when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a pillar. Trevor Rees-Jones - Diana's bodyguard that evening - was the only survivor of the horrific crash, though he suffered serious injuries.

"It could have been me in that car," Lee previously told , claiming that he believed if one major thing had been different, the beloved princess would not have lost her life.

"We drew straws to see who would be accompanying Trevor that weekend. I pulled a match and it was a long one. When I learned they were not wearing seatbelts in the crash I understood why they didn't survive. That shouldn't have happened.

"It was standard practice for the family to wear seatbelts. It was an order sent down from the boss, Dodi's dad Mohamed Fayed. Dodi, in particular, hated wearing seatbelts and I always insisted on it."

Diana affectionately nicknamed Lee "Rambo" during the time that he protected her, but he isn't the only of her former bodyguards to weigh in on the circumstances of her tragically premature death at age 36.

Ken Wharfe - who worked protecting Diana for several years - previously claimed that in his view, her death could have been avoided. "The one thing that would have saved Diana's life that night would have been if they'd kicked out the chauffeur and for Rees-Jones to have driven,"

Wharfe, who worked for Diana between 1987 and 1993, added that he believed Dodi to be a "difficult" employer so it would have been tricky for staff to tell him a different driver should be used. He claimed that if Diana had been encouraged by the late Queen Elizabeth to retain her police security, then the accident would probably not have occurred.

Lee Sansum also spoke very highly of Diana, and it seems she returned the sentiment, even sending a personal letter thanking him for his hard work protecting her and her sons during their holiday. "William, Harry, and I very much wanted to write and thank you for taking such good care of us in Saint Tropez," she wrote.

"We realise that our presence, along with that of the media, made your job enormously difficult, and for that we apologise! However, we all had a magical ten days - which would not have been possible without your invaluable contribution and for that, we all send our warmest possible thanks."

Lee's wife Kate announced the sad news of his death on Monday in an , writing: "Since meeting in 1998, Lee Sansum has been my soul mate, hero and most amazing man in my . So I'm devastated to share that he is no longer with us. He had a fatal heart attack on Saturday morning at home.

"His huge presence will be missed around the world as much as it is in our household although his capacity for love, and the life skills he has shared have left a legacy that will never be lost. He’s forever loved and will always be with us. I love you more than ever 'My Lovely Lee'."