Princess Diana’s former bodyguard, who once safeguarded Prince William and Prince Harry, has passed away at the age of 63.
Lee Sansum, a former Royal Military Police officer, served as one of Diana’s protectors and accompanied her on a family holiday to the French resort of St. Tropez in 1997.
His wife, Kate, shared the devastating news in a Facebook post on Monday, revealing that he had died suddenly from a heart attack.
Alongside a collection of photos capturing their life together over the years, the wellness coach and martial arts instructor wrote:
“Since meeting in 1998, Lee Sansum has been my soulmate, my hero, and the most incredible man in my life.
So it breaks my heart to say that he is no longer with us. He suffered a fatal heart attack at home on Saturday morning.
His powerful presence will be deeply missed—not only in our home but around the world. Yet, the love he gave and the life lessons he shared have left behind a lasting legacy.
He is forever loved and will always be with us.
I love you more than ever, ‘My Lovely Lee.’”
Mr. Sansum was a member of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s security team and accompanied Princess Diana and her sons on their holiday to the south of France, just one month before her tragic death. (Pictured: Princess Diana with Prince Harry).
The letter Diana sent to Lee following their trip to St. Tropez expressed her heartfelt thanks for his service — a gesture he came to treasure deeply.
Mr. Sansum also revealed that Princess Diana had turned to him for comfort following the tragic death of her close friend, fashion designer Gianni Versace, who had been fatally shot outside his home.
Originally from Burnley, Lee shared that Diana would often wake at 7 a.m. and speak with him, confiding her worries about her own safety and future.
Nearly 25 years after the tragic car crash that claimed the lives of Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed, Mr. Sansum reflected on how he might have been with them that night.
In a 2022 interview, he said: “It could have been me in that car. We drew straws to see who would be accompanying Trevor [Rees-Jones] that weekend. When I learned they weren’t wearing seatbelts in the crash, I understood why they didn’t survive. I always insisted on it.”
A former Royal Military Policeman, martial arts champion, private military contractor, and expert in close protection, Sansum emphasized that it was standard protocol for the family to wear seatbelts—an instruction that came directly from Mohamed Al-Fayed.
He shared these reflections while discussing his memoir, The Bodyguard, which he described as “the story of the real bodyguard” and a look inside his life protecting high-profile individuals.
The father-of-six also served as one of Alex Salmond’s bodyguards during the former First Minister’s time in office in 2014 (pictured together in September 2014).
Throughout his long and diverse career, he worked undercover in Northern Ireland and joined the SIB, the Army’s internal affairs unit, before moving into private security. There, he operated in global hotspots such as Libya and the breakaway state of Somaliland.
According to The Mirror, the bodyguard came highly recommended to billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, who was so impressed with Mr. Sansum that he came to regard him as part of his family.
However, protecting the royal family came with its challenges. In 2018, Mr. Sansum opened up about his struggle with PTSD while caring for Princess Diana and her two young sons.
Speaking candidly, he said, “Nobody knew it, but I had PTSD even when I looked after the princess and her sons.
When I left the military, there was no support at all for people dealing with mental health issues.”
