The Observer accused the CIA of tapping Diana’s phone without the permission of British intelligence authorities. Sounds right up the U.S. spy agency’s alley. The CIA, however, as well as Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, categorically denied the allegations. “The Secret Service had nothing to do with it,” a Homeland Security official said.

Another former high-ranking U.S. intelligence official said that it was possible that data on Diana ended up in CIA files on other people the agency was snooping on, but that there was no direct monitoring of Princess Diana. That line, however, is a bit difficult for some to swallow, since Freedom of Information Act requests have turned up as many as 1,056 pages of documentation concerning Diana on file. The CIA’s history of surreptitious actions and adamant denials of any involvement in any events to happen on Earth ever inclines one to believe that maybe just maybe there was at least a sliver of truth in The Observer’s allegations. However, since the spy agency can pretty much act with impunity anywhere on the planet, we’ll probably never know if the CIA bugged Princess Diana’s phone the night she died or not.