[19] Genuinely sympathetic to his employer's grief, he would reply neutrally, stifling his impulse to state that the crash was just an accident. He began to suspect that Fayed was rehearsing him for his meeting with the French investigating magistrate. He felt under increasing pressure during an interview arranged with Piers Morgan, editor of The Mirror, whose questions appeared to him to have been prompted. "Desperate" to come up with answers, he found himself quoted as saying that Diana had cried out Dodi's name.
[20] When he eventually resigned, his relief was short-lived. Fayed accused him in Time magazine of incompetence and lack of professionalism. Rees-Jones felt betrayed. "I hadn't done anything to warrant attack from that side. I believe I still haven't."
[21] For the most part, the public has shown him only kindness and sympathy to his face, refraining from blaming him for the tragedy. He has received some "funny phone calls" and reproachful letters, however.
[22] He treasures a framed letter from the Princess of Wales, thanking him on behalf of Princess William and Harry for his protective role during the "magical 10 days" of their first holiday in St Tropez. Appended to it was a PS from William: "Keep wearing the shirts"--a reference to his colourful liner in apparel.
[23] Rees-Jones remembers the princes as "lovely lads" "Similar to her. Very genuine. William was very level-headed and switched-on. He seemed to have a lot of her compassion. None of that future king of England bit,"_ he said.
[24] He would like to see them again--"I'd like to tell them I did all I could to look after their mother"--but believes his name would only remind them of their grievous loss.
[25] Rees-Jones has set up home with a new girlfriend and has a new security business in prospect. He will always be the survivor who walked away from one of the most poignant tragedies in history. But now, he has decided, he is not going quietly.
里斯-瓊斯從心里同情這位老板的悲傷,回答時不置可否,壓下了告訴他這只是一次事故的沖動。里斯-瓊斯開始懷疑,法耶德是在讓他為與法國調查官員的會面進行排練。在一次接受《鏡報》編輯皮爾斯·摩根的采訪中,里斯-瓊斯感到了越來越大的壓力,在他看來摩根的問題是受人指使的,含著許多暗示。里斯-瓊斯“勉為其難”他作了回答,事后發現他們引用他的話說戴安娜曾呼喚多迪的名字。
最終他辭職了,但并沒有解脫幾天。在《時代》雜志上,法耶德指控里斯-瓊斯不稱職并且缺乏敬業精神。里斯-瓊斯感到被出賣了,“我沒有做過任何事該受來自這方面的攻擊。我相信直到現在也沒有。”
大部分公眾當面對他表示的都是關心和同情,并沒有將悲劇歸罪于他。不過,他也接到過一些“古怪的電話”和責備性質的來信。
他很珍愛一封鑲了鏡框的威爾士王妃給他的信,信中她代表威廉王子和哈利王子對他表示感謝,感謝他在圣特羅佩茲他們第一次“美妙的十天”假期中所做的保護工作。信下面還附有威廉的一句話:“繼續穿那些襯衫”--指的是他喜歡穿的那些五顏六色的衣服。
在里斯-瓊斯的記憶中,兩位王子是“可愛的男孩”。他說:“他們像戴安娜,很真誠。威廉非常沉穩和敏銳,似乎具有很多母親所有的愛心。一點也沒有未來英國國王的架子。” 他希望再次見到他們--“我想告訴他們,我盡了最大努力去保護他們的母親”——但他相信自己的名字恐怕只會勾起他們的喪母之痛。
里斯-瓊斯已經同一位新女友建立了家庭,并且將開始新的保鏢生涯。他將永遠是歷史上最揪心的一幕悲劇的幸存者。但是現在,他已決定不再沉默。