Buckingham Palace has condemned the latest American book about Princess Diana as "complete fantasy". In a vigorous attack on The Day Diana Died, a spokeswoman said the palace was "treating this book with the contempt it deserves".
The spokeswoman dismissed claims by the author, Christopher Andersen, that within an hour of hearing that Princess Diana had died, Queen Elizabeth asked: "Where are the jewels?" She said the claims were "completely inaccurate and without any foundation whatsoever".
The palace also rejected the book's claims that the queen tried to stop Prince Charles from flying to France to claim his former wife's body. The book was published this week in the US by William Morrow, and Mr Andersen claimed it was based on interviews with palace sources, hospital workers and staff at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
But the palace spokeswoman said of the book: "It is simply not true. The allegations are deeply hurtful to the royal family especially coming as they do near to the first anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales." The book contained claims that Queen Elizabeth was told by Prince Charles that she must address the nation or risk being booed at Princess Diana's funeral.