One of Diana’s bodyguards prior to her passing was Lee Sansum, a former royal military police officer who accompanied her on a 1997 family vacation to the French resort of St Tropez.
On Monday, Kate, Mr. Sansum’s wife, revealed on Facebook that her husband had suffered a sudden heart attack.
Alongside a compilation of images of the couple through the years, the wellness coach and martial arts instructor wrote: “Since meeting in 1998 Lee Sansum has been my soul mate, hero and most amazing man in my world.”
“So I’m devastated to share that he is no longer with us. He had a fatal heart attack on Saturday morning at home.”
“His huge presence will be missed around the world as much as it is in our household although his capacity for love, and the life skills he has shared have left a legacy that will never be lost.”
“He’s forever loved and will always be with us”
I love you more than ever “My Lovely Lee”.
When the late former First Minister was in government in 2014, the father of six was also one of Alex Salmond’s bodyguards.
With black belts in karate, jujitsu, and kickboxing, the former royal bodyguard—whom the princess called Rambo—was no stranger to the limelight, having previously worked with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Pele, and Sylvester Stallone.
He looked after Diana during her vacation in the south of France and was a member of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s protection team at the time of her murder. Al-Fayed was the owner of Fulham FC, the Hôtel Ritz Paris, and the defunct Harrods department store.
Just one month prior to the princess’s passing, he had been tasked with taking care of Diana and her kids, Princes William and Harry, while they were staying at Al-Fayad’s thirty-bedroom villa in St Tropez that summer.
According to Mr. Sansum’s book, the former Royal Military Policeman claimed to have developed a strong relationship with Diana and the young princes, especially Harry.
He disclosed that the two lads were too “apprehensive” to learn kickboxing from him.
The bodyguard boasted that he was able to demonstrate how to operate a jet ski near enough to the photographers to wet them.
And for his kind services, he was given a touching thank you letter from Diana, who wrote that she was grateful for the “magical 10 days…would not have been possible without your invaluable contribution.”
Mr. Sansum also revealed that after her fashion designer friend Gianni Versace was murdered dead outside his house, the late Diana had resorted to him for solace.
Born in Burnley Lee claimed Diana would talk to him every day when she woke up at seven in the morning. She was concerned about her own life, he said.
Mr. Sansum disclosed how he could have been with Princess Diana that weekend and in the car with them, over 25 years after the tragic night that claimed the lives of Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayad.
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 were not wearing seatbelts in the crash I understood why they didn’t survive. I always insisted on it.”
Mohamed Al-Fayed ordered the family to wear seatbelts, and Mr. Sansum, a former Royal Military Policeman, martial arts champion, private military contractor, and close protection specialist, emphasised that it was regular procedure.
He said this while talking about his book, “The Bodyguard,” which he described as “the story of the real bodyguard” and which chronicles his life as a close protection specialist.
In his lengthy and diverse career, he also served as an undercover agent in Northern Ireland and joined the Army’s internal affairs section, the SIB, before going into private security and working in hotspots across the globe, including Libya and Somaliland, a breakaway state.
The Mirror claims that billionaire Al-Fayed, who was so taken with Mr. Sansum that he began to consider him a member of his family, was recommended the bodyguard.
However, there were challenges in caring for the royal family, and in 2018, the bodyguard disclosed that he had been struggling with PTSD while looking after Princess Diana and her two young sons.
Speaking at the time, 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 help whatsoever for people with any mental health problems.”
