London - The sons of Princess Diana Monday welcomed the verdict of a British inquest jury that their mother was "unlawfully killed" while rejecting claims that she was murdered.

Prince William, 25, and Prince Harry, 23, said in a statement released in London that they agreed with the decision of the jury, which pinned the blame for Diana's death on the driver of her car and a pack of paparazzi which pursued the vehicle.

Dodi al-Fayed, Diana's lover at the time, also died when their chauffeur-driven Mercedes crashed on August 31, 1997, in a Paris underpass.

"We should like to thank the members of the jury at the inquests into the deaths of our mother and Dodi al-Fayed for the thorough way in which they have considered the evidence," the princes' statement said.

"We agree with their verdicts and are both hugely grateful to each and every one of them for the forbearance they have shown in accepting such significant disruption to their lives over the past six months."

The sons also expressed their "most profound gratitude to all those who fought so desperately to save our mother's life on that tragic night." (dpa)