A jeweller testifying at the inquest into the 1997 death of DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES, has been accused of lying over claims the British royal was about to announce her engagement to lover DODI FAYED.

Alberto Repossi, a society jeweller from Monaco, gave evidence via videolink at London's High Court on Monday (10Dec07), where he recalled a telephone conversation he had with Fayed in August 1997, in which he allegedly revealed the couple's good news.

Repossi claims Fayed had called to ensure a ring he had ordered would be resized ready for collection at the end of the month (Aug97), when the couple was to make a formal announcement of their plans to wed. But Diana and Fayed were killed in a tragic car crash in Paris, France, on 31 August (97), before they could share their news with friends and family.

But Repossi's revelation attracted heavy criticism from lawyers at the inquest, who questioned why the jeweller had not mentioned the phone call in earlier conversations with police.

Inquest counsel Nicholas Hilliard then went on to claim that Repossi had changed his story, saying: "I suggest you have told a series of lies about what happened in August 1997. Who has asked you to tell lies, Mr Repossi?" His allegations prompted a sharp response from Repossi, who retorted: "If you go on like this I am not going to answer any more questions." The inquest aims to establish whether the princess and Fayed were simply the victims of a tragic accident, or if they were the targets of an assassination plot headed by the British royal family - as claimed by Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed.
The case continues.