Squadron Leader Graham Laurie, Who Piloted Princess Diana's Body Home, Dies at 80

Squadron Leader Graham Laurie, a Royal Air Force veteran and personal pilot to the Prince of Wales for nearly two decades, died on August 8 at the age of 80.

Laurie, who served with the Queen's Flight at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire from 1981 to 2000, amassed 13,500 flying hours, including 2,214 royal flights, transporting then-Prince Charles to 767 engagements during his tenure. However, he often described his most significant mission as flying Princess Diana's body back to the United Kingdom from Paris following her fatal car crash in 1997.

Recounting the events of August 31, 1997, Laurie stated he was awakened by his son with news of the Princess of Wales's serious car accident. Diana, her partner Dodi Fayed, and the driver Henri Paul died from injuries sustained in the collision in Paris. Laurie promptly traveled to RAF Northolt in west London, then flew to collect Diana's sisters before picking up Prince Charles and proceeding to Paris.

Tasked with a tight schedule, Laurie successfully landed the BAe 146 carrying Diana's body at RAF Northolt at 6:51 p.m. on August 31, 1997, a feat meticulously noted by the world's press. He recalled the solemn procession to the airport apron, with the Queen's Colour Squadron acting as pallbearers. Within 20 minutes, he was airborne again, returning Prince Charles to Balmoral.

Laurie expressed being honored to have conducted this final flight for Princess Diana, whom he had flown on over 200 previous occasions. He noted that the entire week was a blur but reflected on the significance of the mission.

This solemn duty stood in contrast to an incident in 1994 when Laurie faced criticism after allowing Prince Charles to take the controls of a British Aerospace 146 aircraft during its landing at Islay in the Inner Hebrides. The aircraft overshot the runway, resulting in the burst of three tires and damage to the plane. A Ministry of Defence report placed responsibility on Laurie, suggesting he should have intervened and taken control from the Prince. The report also deemed the plane's navigator negligent for failing to provide crucial data during the landing. Although Laurie was not formally disciplined, the RAF acknowledged the incident could have career implications. Following this event, Prince Charles decided to ground himself from flying.

Graham Harvey Laurie was born in Mitcham, Surrey, on December 15, 1945. He joined the RAF in 1964 and served with 46 Squadron. By 1981, he was training pilots and was soon selected for the Queen's Flight. Upon his retirement, Laurie received a pair of silver cufflinks from Prince Charles and was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1991. He is survived by his wife, Jo, and their two children.