Hasnat Khan, the former boyfriend of Diana, Princess of Wales, said that it was she who had broken off their two-year relationship shortly before her fatal Paris car crash, the inquest into her death heard today.

In a long-awaited statement read out to the High Court jury, the heart surgeon, described by Diana’s friends as the love of her life, said the princess had ended their relationship shortly after returning from a holiday with the al-Fayed family in August 1997.

Dr Khan, 48, who had refused to give direct evidence via video-link from his home in Pakistan, said he suspected she had met somebody else on that trip as she did not seem “her normal self.” However the princess had denied this, he said.

His explanation ran counter to earlier testimony at the inquest that it was he who had broken off the affair as he could no longer bear the media interest. It was true that he was unhappy with the press intrusion into their relationship but he had been hoping they might escape this by moving to Pakistan, he said.

Dr Khan said he told Diana on her return from her holiday with Mohamed al-Fayed and his family that he thought she had “met someone else from the Mohamed al Fayed contingent”.

“I did not know who it was. It could have been a bodyguard or anyone,” Dr Khan said. “I was surprised when she said there was no-one else.

“At a second meeting, she said it was all over between us, but she denied there was anyone else.”

It was only from media reports following her death that he learnt about her relationship with Mr al Fayed’s son, Dodi. However he did not believe she had been unfaithful, he said.

The court heard how the pair had met in August or September 1995 through her interest in the life-saving surgery being carried out at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.

Joe Toffolo, husband of her friend Oonagh, had had triple bypass surgery there and the princess visited to observe heart operations on two occasions – not just once as reported in the media.

Diana was “down to earth and made everyone feel at ease”, he said. She was also “very flirtatious with everyone”.

Dr Khan said he was very happy with the relationship that developed and had no problems except with the intense media interest surrounding them.

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