Squadron Leader Graham Laurie, Pilot in Princess Diana's Repatriation, Dies at 80

Squadron Leader Graham Laurie, the Royal Air Force pilot tasked with flying Princess Diana's body back to the UK from Paris following her fatal 1997 car crash, has died at the age of 80. Laurie, who served as the personal pilot for the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, for almost 19 years, passed away on August 8.

During his career with the Queen's Flight at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, from 1981 to 2000, Laurie amassed 13,500 flying hours, undertaking 2,214 royal flights and flying Charles to 767 engagements. Despite the extensive number of flights, Laurie described the mission to repatriate Princess Diana as his most cherished.

Recalling the events of August 31, 1997, Laurie recounted being woken early on the morning of the crash. Diana, her partner Dodi Fayed, and the driver Henri Paul died from injuries sustained in the collision in Paris's Pont de l'Alma tunnel. Laurie was tasked with flying to Diana's sisters and then collecting Prince Charles before proceeding to Paris. He estimated the round trip would conclude by 7 p.m., a timeline that was conveyed to the press.

Laurie successfully landed the BAe 146 carrying Diana's body at RAF Northolt precisely at 6:51 p.m. The Times reported Laurie stating, "As we slowly proceeded to the airport apron, hundreds of press and TV cameras watched our every move." He also noted the Queen's Colour Squadron acting as pallbearers for the hearse. Within 20 minutes, Laurie was airborne again, returning Charles to Balmoral. Laurie expressed his continued honor for his role in that globally watched moment, stating, "I was honoured to fly her on her final flight home."

This mission stood in contrast to an incident in 1994 when Laurie faced criticism after Prince Charles, then the Prince of Wales, took the controls of a British Aerospace 146 aircraft and crashed it while landing at Islay in the Inner Hebrides. The aircraft, valued at £10 million, suffered three burst tires and overshot the runway in 33 mph winds, sustaining damage to its nose cone, landing gear, and weather radar. The accident caused an estimated £1 million in damage.

A Ministry of Defence report placed responsibility on the captain, Laurie, for not intervening when the Prince was at the controls. Experts estimated the crash caused £1 million in damage. Laurie later admitted in a 2019 documentary, "Secrets of the Royal Flight," that he should have instructed Charles to abort the landing and attempt another approach. Despite being suspended during the inquiry, Laurie was not formally disciplined, though the RAF acknowledged the incident could have career implications.

Charles grounded himself from flying following the accident, a decision St. James's Palace described as personal. The incident occurred on June 29, 1994, the same day a documentary aired in which Charles admitted to adultery. The aircraft was landing at too high a speed, forcing Charles to brake sharply, causing the jet to halt at a right angle to the runway, just short of a drop into a stream.

Charles wryly remarked on the incident, stating, "It wasn't quite a crash. We went off the end of the runway, unfortunately. It is not something I recommend."

Despite the scrutiny, Laurie continued as Charles' personal pilot. Born Graham Harvey Laurie in Mitcham, Surrey, on December 15, 1945, he attended Rutlish Grammar in New Malden. He joined the RAF in 1964, serving with 46 Squadron before training pilots to fly the Andover aircraft. His selection for the Queen's Flight followed. Upon his retirement, Laurie received a pair of silver cufflinks from Charles and was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1991. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jo, and their two children, Jo and Graham.