Mohamed Al Fayed grudgingly gave up his forlorn fight last night and said he was accepting the jury’s verdict on the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed, for the sake of her sons.

The Harrods owner declared that “enough was enough” and said that he would leave it to God to get his revenge on those who “murdered” the Princess and his son.

Earlier in the day Gordon Brown issued a clear warning to Mr Al Fayed to give up his fight and accept the jury’s verdict, because any further investigation into his allegation of a murder plot masterminded by the Duke of Edinburgh could divert the resources of the security services from anti-terrorist work.

After a statement from the princes, William and Harry, the Princess’s sons, that they were satisfied with the verdicts, the Prime Minister said: “I think [they] have spoken for the whole country when they say this is time to bring this to an end. And I believe also that our security services, who have co-operated with the inquiry to the fullest, have or would continue to be diverted from the important work they do if we have another rerun.”

The Diana inquests: top 20 moments

Classic episodes from the six-month inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed

• Diana, Princess of Wales, unlawfully killed - but not by MI6 assassins

• Diana verdict: Mohamed Al Fayed team has almost run out of viable legal alternatives

• Paparazzi questioned after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales

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• The Diana inquests in pictures and video

• Pictures: Diana inquest

• Pictures: CCTV of Diana at the Ritz

BACKGROUND

• Coroner blasts Burrell lies and gold-digging

• Diana death 'conspiracy' thrown out by coroner

• Al Fayed: murder, racism, cover-up

Related Links

• Diana inquest: the right thing

• Diana verdict: she was unlawfully killed

• Fayed team almost run out of legal alternatives

Multimedia

• Video, pictures, full coverage

Mr Al Fayed met his legal advisers yesterday to consider the options still open to him. Indeed, during the hearing, Mr Al Fayed had agreed under oath to accept whatever verdict the jury returned, but yesterday his team were trying to wriggle out of that commitment, claiming that he had made it on the basis of all the evidence having been heard.

Last night in an interview with ITN Mr Al Fayed said he now accepted the verdict but “with reservations”.

“Enough is enough . . . for the sake of the two princes, who I know loved their mother,” he said.

“I am sure they are blessing in their deep heart what I’m doing to discover the truth. But I have [had] enough. I’m leaving the rest for God to get my revenge. I’m not doing anything any more . . . this is the end.”

He said he was “tired” with his fight but maintained his criticism of the coroner, Lord Justice Scott Baker, whom he said had failed to call the Duke of Edinburgh as a witness, and had not put a series of written questions to the Queen.

He added: “I’m very grateful to [the jury] because the most important thing in their verdict is that they mention that it is not an accident, it’s an unlawful killing. After meeting with my lawyers this afternoon, there are still a lot of options but I’m tired.”

Lord Justice Scott Baker is as keen as anyone to close the book. He announced yesterday that he would not pursue Paul Burrell, the Princess’s former butler, for alleged perjury following his three days of evidence. Scotland Yard said that it was not seeking Mr Burrell but it did not rule out questioning him in the future.

Trevor Rees, the former bodyguard and sole survivor of the crash in the Paris underpass in August 1997, issued a brief statement agreeing with the verdict. “I hope this now represents a point from which everyone involved can move on.”

Kes Wingfield, another bodyguard assigned to the couple while they were in Paris, said that he felt Mr Al Fayed had pursued the conspiracy theories to express his feelings and because he may have felt he had a “hand in this tragic accident”.

The jury accepted that Mr Paul was three times over the drink-driving limit and travelling at twice the speed limit, and gave the verdict that he and the pursuing photographers had unlawfully killed the Princess and Dodi Fayed through gross negligence. The coroner ordered them to ignore the conspiracy theory as there was no evidence to support it.

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